Coronavirus Death Thread

[igor_balis]

The iron fist is needed now everywhere.
this isn't my PMs sweetie. usual price?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Schools closed.

Why don't they say that, then?

[Giggles]

this isn't my PMs sweetie. usual price?

I’ll need more than a limp one this time.

[Yevrah]

You see headlines like this one and it all feels a bit East Germany.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-55503852

[Giggles]

You see headlines like this one and it all feels a bit East Germany.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-55503852


It’s not East Germany enough. If people shouldn’t be doing it then they should be afraid to do it in the first place.

[Don]

If them boys were playing dominoes all that child porn on my hard drive came pre-loaded by Dell.

[Jimmy Floyd]

What is annoying me at the moment is that I follow a lot of Americans on twitter (be it golf, baseball, etc) and they all seem to be basically carrying on as normal - yes there are masks around and an element of social distancing, but they're going out and having breakfast together, playing golf, doing most of the things they would normally be doing. Seeing each other. People are dying but other people are living their lives, to a reasonable degree. There are weddings and parties and so on all taking place.

Their 'handling' of the pandemic definitely hasn't been any better than ours - if you're a believer in stringent lockdowns, it's been far worse - so why are we in fucking permanent lockdown with no end in sight, and they are somewhat getting on with their lives?

[Spikey M]

Americans are comfortable with school children getting shot in the face, as if they break stride for a load of pensioners dying.

[Jimmy Floyd]

So my question is (since it appears more of our pensioners than theirs are dying anyway), is it all worth it?

[Kikó]

Well it depends if you think it's worth it or not to overwhelm hospitals during winter where they will have to make choices on who lives or not. We're about 2 months away from Spring and a vaccine mass rollout, it's worth a few more inconvenient months.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Looks like they're overwhelmed anyway.

I'm not being one of those denying weirdos posting graphs about excess deaths, it just feels like all the sacrifice is completely worthless.

[Lewis]

We got a Labour Party leaflet through the door, and it includes the following section on East Riding Council and 'vulnerable kids':

https://i.imgur.com/OiYQXsN.png

Is that a lookalike? There is something off.

[Don]

When that 30 stone diabetic heifer who smokes 40 a day whose life you managed to save gives you a smile from her mobility scooter next summer, you'll know it was all worth it.

[Lewis]

The argument I like against just shielding the vulnerable is how selfish it would have been to expect them to do so all this time. As opposed to...

[Magic]

How many vulnerable people do we have as a society?

Be interesting to see how much public money is being saved due to disability/pensions etc.

Being saved is the wrong term but you know what I mean.

[Spikey M]

The argument I like against just shielding the vulnerable is how selfish it would have been to expect them to do so all this time. As opposed to...

Shielding the vulnerable is 100% the route we should have taken. Alas, the vulnerable are the people that elected Boris Johnson and here we are.

[Yevrah]

The problem with just getting the vulnerable to shield is that they either can't or they don't want to. If they could or they did, we wouldn't have 1,000 of them dying a day again.

[Don]

Shielding clearly wouldn't work, I mean look how the elite football and Whitehouse bubbles got ravaged.


https://icdn.caughtoffside.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Lamela-Lo-Celso-Lanzini-Reguilon-break-Tier-4-for-Christmas-630x394.jpg

https://talksport.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2021/01/Screen-Shot-2021-01-02-at-22.44.06-e1609627840722.png?strip=all&w=532&quality=100

https://e3.365dm.com/20/10/768x432/skynews-barrett-rose-garden_5116428.jpg?20201003050134

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://www.itv.com/news/2021-01-03/robert-peston-covid-the-statistics-that-make-school-closures-almost-inevitable

Why is Boris so fucking slow to make literally any decision? It's like they live on 19th century political timetables and they need everyone to come into London on their horse and cart with a 5 day journey before any decisions get made.

As for enraging the libertarian wing of the Tory party, literally about 9 people in the world care what they think. Why are political reporters still doing this?

[Alex]

It's almost like he believes there is some sort of charm in his leave-it-to-the-last-minute, "look, I didn't WANT to do this but here we are" approach. It is very strange.

[Spikey M]

The problem with just getting the vulnerable to shield is that they either can't or they don't want to. If they could or they did, we wouldn't have 1,000 of them dying a day again.

Then they die, it's their own fault and we all live happily ever after.

[Alex]

Looks like they're overwhelmed anyway.

I'm not being one of those denying weirdos posting graphs about excess deaths, it just feels like all the sacrifice is completely worthless.

You've also perfectly encapsulated my own feelings here too, Jim.

[Manc]

Unrest in the ranks. :drool:

[Boydy]

Just getting the vulnerable to shield would have been pretty impossible, surely? It ripped theough care homes first time around (not sure how it is with them at the minute, not seen much reporting on that this time) but those people hardly go out much do they? It's people who have to come in and work there to look after them that causes the problems. Same for people who are cared for in their own homes by carers or relatives.

What about people of working age with health issues that make them vulnerable? Do they still go to work? What about their partners? Do they still go to work? What if they have kids at school? Do they still go to school?

[John Arne]

According to worldofmeters, the UK has now completed over 54m tests... that's basically almost everyone... Has anyone here NOT been tested yet? Seems really high - whenever I speak to friends and family in the UK, hardly anyone has been tested.

[John Arne]

It's been a while... Top 15 Deaths/1m pop

https://gyazo.com/4a1e5d3ba99254c4128e9f7a2e021ec1.jpeg

[Jimmy Floyd]

The same people will have been tested over and over again.

I've never been tested as I've never had a symptom, which is what is supposed to prompt a test.

[Spikey M]

Just getting the vulnerable to shield would have been pretty impossible, surely? It ripped theough care homes first time around (not sure how it is with them at the minute, not seen much reporting on that this time) but those people hardly go out much do they? It's people who have to come in and work there to look after them that causes the problems. Same for people who are cared for in their own homes by carers or relatives.

What about people of working age with health issues that make them vulnerable? Do they still go to work? What about their partners? Do they still go to work? What if they have kids at school? Do they still go to school?

No. You lockdown the vulnerable and anyone that needs to be in contact with them. The sweetener is thatvtheybare first on the vaccine priority list.

Anyone that isn't vulnerable and has no contact with the vulnerable can keep social distancing and wearing a mask to limit the spread but there's no need for the shops to be shut.

[John Arne]

The same people will have been tested over and over again.

I've never been tested as I've never had a symptom, which is what is supposed to prompt a test.

I reckon the Premier League accounts for a good couple hundred thousand of them.

[niko_cee]

Just getting the vulnerable to shield would have been pretty impossible, surely? It ripped theough care homes first time around (not sure how it is with them at the minute, not seen much reporting on that this time) but those people hardly go out much do they? It's people who have to come in and work there to look after them that causes the problems. Same for people who are cared for in their own homes by carers or relatives.

What about people of working age with health issues that make them vulnerable? Do they still go to work? What about their partners? Do they still go to work? What if they have kids at school? Do they still go to school?

Less impossible than shutting the entire country for 12 months plus, which seems to be the alternative such whataboutery demands. I saw some talking head yesterday saying that THE SCIENCE didn't particularly think that shutting schools would make much difference. I missed the exact context [it may have been in terms of curbing the spread of THE VARIANT], but if that is in anyway true the constant demands for something to be done about them is interesting and perhaps indicative of people wanting something to be done, even if it is relatively pointless, and that a worryingly large section of society is quite keen on authoritarian government and lockdowns. From the outset it has been my view that people aren't accustomed to the idea of something being almost entirely outwith their control, which for most major developed nations covid clearly is.

I sort of agree with some of Jim's sentiments. For a while I've wondered how America, having done such an apparently bad/non-job* of bothering with covid, was broadly matching most other developed countries in terms of deaths and infections per head of population, who have locked down hard.

*but then, as so much is state by state in the US maybe the idea of them not really having done much is false, this feels the more likely answer. Or maybe their counting is squiffy, but I'm less convinced of that.

[mugbull]

Part of me thinks we should’ve earmarked 200 billion at the beginning of this to give to doctors/nurses as a Coronatimes bonus and then done nothing else and let the virus run through the pop.

[Shindig]

No. You lockdown the vulnerable and anyone that needs to be in contact with them. The sweetener is thatvtheybare first on the vaccine priority list.

Can't do that. Care home staff can't stay in residence. They don't have the space. And they have kids to look after. And families of their own. And care's not done on a one-to-one basis.

[Magic]

Less impossible than shutting the entire country for 12 months plus, which seems to be the alternative such whataboutery demands. I saw some talking head yesterday saying that THE SCIENCE didn't particularly think that shutting schools would make much difference. I missed the exact context [it may have been in terms of curbing the spread of THE VARIANT], but if that is in anyway true the constant demands for something to be done about them is interesting and perhaps indicative of people wanting something to be done, even if it is relatively pointless, and that a worryingly large section of society is quite keen on authoritarian government and lockdowns. From the outset it has been my view that people aren't accustomed to the idea of something being almost entirely outwith their control, which for most major developed nations covid clearly is.

I sort of agree with some of Jim's sentiments. For a while I've wondered how America, having done such an apparently bad/non-job* of bothering with covid, was broadly matching most other developed countries in terms of deaths and infections per head of population, who have locked down hard.

*but then, as so much is state by state in the US maybe the idea of them not really having done much is false, this feels the more likely answer. Or maybe their counting is squiffy, but I'm less convinced of that.

You'll find these shouty, grassing freaks a complete minority, thankfully. Lockdown doesn't work because most people with half a brain can't and won't live like prisoners.

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://twitter.com/koryodynasty/status/1345210393715564544

Yeah, I'll take the deaths.

[Spikey M]

Can't do that. Care home staff can't stay in residence. They don't have the space. And they have kids to look after. And families of their own. And care's not done on a one-to-one basis.

Which is why they're first on the vaccine list. 1 million odd done already.

[Boydy]

https://twitter.com/koryodynasty/status/1345210393715564544

Yeah, I'll take the deaths.

They don't even scan your temperature at Heathrow though.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Based on the conversation in the office, I think people have completely broken now (I know I have). The IT guy has come in ranting about the fact that people are still able to buy non-essential items in supermarkets but his wife's wedding photography business has had to shut down.

[niko_cee]

https://twitter.com/koryodynasty/status/1345210393715564544

Yeah, I'll take the deaths.

It's not wildly different to arriving back here.

Do the Koreans then make you isolate for 14 days even if your arrival test is negative? We do. Those are the lengths you have to go to if you don't want this thing [assuming that is even an option which is never was for most places], which is clearly unsustainable at any sort of scale.

[Shindig]

Korea's also going through a genuine peak. 20,000 active cases. From a total of 64,000. 13,000 in the last week alone.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's not wildly different to arriving back here.

Do the Koreans then make you isolate for 14 days even if your arrival test is negative? We do. Those are the lengths you have to go to if you don't want this thing [assuming that is even an option which is never was for most places], which is clearly unsustainable at any sort of scale.

Exactly - the policy is pretty much exactly the same here, but they spend millions more won on draconian enforcement methods and putting people in hazmat suits and barking orders in garish uniforms. It's not a different policy that people want - it's the visible paraphernalia of control because, as you said earlier, they can't deal with the idea that there's anything which can't be controlled.

[Giggles]

Based on the conversation in the office, I think people have completely broken now (I know I have). The IT guy has come in ranting about the fact that people are still able to buy non-essential items in supermarkets but his wife's wedding photography business has had to shut down.

That's been one of the biggest things in all this. People want everything to close except the things they want open.

[Manc]

I think people have completely broken now (I know I have).

The country will break if Boris announces another national lockdown.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I just want to know what the additional restrictions are going to be besides schools closing. If it's a curfew they can get to fuck and if they end support bubbles they can also get to fuck. Shops closing, whatever, do your worst.

If Bill Gates or any government spies are reading this, I'd appreciate if you could leak the juice to Robert Peston asap.

[Magic]

Apparently:

Masks must be worn all the time and they must be 3 layer. :harold:

[Lewis]

So is that Marcus Rashford or not on that leaflet?

[Kikó]

Based on the conversation in the office, I think people have completely broken now (I know I have). The IT guy has come in ranting about the fact that people are still able to buy non-essential items in supermarkets but his wife's wedding photography business has had to shut down.

It's a massive slog. More of the same without much to look forward to (until the summer?)

https://hbr.org/amp/2020/12/how-to-lead-when-your-team-is-exhausted-and-you-are-too&ved=2ahUKEwiB6MnSkoLuAhV0QhUIHYDUCNAQFjABegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw2oLTZeqR15rGTn8xVh5v7p&ampcf=1

Here's a helpful hbr link ^

[Jimmy Floyd]

Agree though I do with much of what Dr Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg has to say, there are only so many fights you can dream up for yourself in these circumstances. I did the 70 day stretch without seeing anyone last year, and what did it achieve? Apparently nothing, because here we are again. And that's speaking as someone who considers themselves, in normal circumstances, to be resilient as fuck.

[randomlegend]

No. You lockdown the vulnerable and anyone that needs to be in contact with them. .

It takes about 3 seconds thought to see why that doesn't work.

[randomlegend]

I've also never been tested.

[Don]

Only breathing for the sake of Thiago Alcantara minutes at this point.

Fucking set up an experiment with mice and deprive them of their clubs and saunas and see how long it takes before they start eating each other.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If football shuts down it's all over red rover. I'll go out with a bang on one of those Viking fire ships down the Thames.

[Spikey M]

It takes about 3 seconds thought to see why that doesn't work.

It doesn't take 3 seconds thought to see that it works for the majority of people. Carers and NHS staff are obviously a bit different. Carry on being a prick though, it isn't getting boring in any way.

[randomlegend]

The majority of vulnerable people are not living alone with no need for support.

Unless you're suggesting that any who live with family etc. move out and live alone, which I have seen some people doing.

[Spikey M]

The majority of vulnerable people are not living alone with no need for support.

Which is why the people living with them also isolate.

[randomlegend]

Which is why the people living with them also isolate.

So if your Mum has cancer you aren't allowed to go to school for a year?

[Spikey M]

So if your Mum has cancer you aren't allowed to go to school for a year?

No. You get prioritised for the vaccine. But if your mum is going through chemo right now then going to school is a fucking murder mission at this point.

When my mum was having chemo she was hospitalised by a cold.

[randomlegend]

No. You get prioritised for the vaccine. But if your mum is going through chemo right now then going to school is a fucking murder mission at this point.


Yes, now perhaps, but the suggestion seemed to be this should have been the strategy from the beginning.

That's the choice some families were facing though. Don't send their child to school for an indeterminate amount of time or risk them bringing it home. Those were the type of people the guidelines were trying to protect.

I had to turn down someone for the vaccine who is vulnerable and has moved away from their spouse and children for the duration of this.

[Lewis]

We've heroically offered to shut ourselves down to Stop the Spread, but I'm still at home, so it could end up being the experiment Taz wants.

[Giggles]

Yes, now perhaps, but the suggestion seemed to be this should have been the strategy from the beginning.

That's the choice some families were facing though. Don't send their child to school for an indeterminate amount of time or risk them bringing it home. Those were the type of people the guidelines were trying to protect.

I had to turn down someone for the vaccine who is vulnerable and has moved away from their spouse and children for the duration of this.

Why did you have to turn them down? Just not in the right group yet?

[randomlegend]

There's a few things which disqualify you from having the Pfizer vaccine at the moment. From memory:

- Previous serious allergic reaction (to anything)
- Pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive (this has now changed but was the case when I did my last shift)
- Had another vaccine in the last 2 weeks
- Been a participant in a research trial for one of the vaccines

Rather not be too specific, but safe to say they fell into one of those groups.

[Lewis]

'We've spoken to your neighbours and you only clapped for us twice.'

[Waffdon]

Mon the hard lockdown :drool:

[Disco]

If I could have a couple more weeks at home that would be great but I can't imagine a situation where our lot would close the office again, and given we wouldn't be alone what's the point?

[Spikey M]

Stay at home Magic you slag :drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

How can the health secretary go on TV and say the current restrictions are not enough, but also have absolutely no information about when new ones will come in and what they will be? The comms are absolutely ridiculous.

Usually when this sort of thing happens in an organisation it's because one person at or near the top with key decision-making power is a pathetic mess, so no prizes for guessing who that is. Bring back Dominic Cummings as King-Emperor. Failing him, bring back Tony Blair, my misery feels like it needs compounding.

[Lofty]

The farce of the whole thing in England is the police crying about thousands of people from all over going to Rivington Pike at the weekend but not actually doing anything about it. The rules are a waste of time, tiers are a waste of time, the great unwashed are sick of experts.

May aswell open the clubs.

[Magic]

Full lockdown my arse. They can fuck themselves.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The farce of the whole thing in England is the police crying about thousands of people from all over going to Rivington Pike at the weekend but not actually doing anything about it. The rules are a waste of time, tiers are a waste of time, the great unwashed are sick of experts.

May aswell open the clubs.

The most ardent of the lockdown screamers should turn their ire not on the current lot but on Theresa May, whose dismantling of the police force as home secretary means that there just aren't enough officers to police any restrictions even if they wanted them to. France with their well-stocked gendarmerie and Italy with their platoon of posing cretins do at least have the numbers to enforce.

[Lofty]

I agree but the fact the police attended the area and just pulled angry faces at everyone means they may aswell have dressed a scarecrow as a copper and saved some time and money.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Cumbria police (like all regional police forces) are basically just people in dressing up outfits. The state of some of those American ones that wear big wide hats and then have to do press conferences about how the latest mass shooter has 'skipped the county' thanks to their stunning response capability.

Any cop who was good at it would go to a city force where the crime is.

[Baz]

Announcement at 8, then? What we expecting?

[SvN]

They've put the vaccine in the water supply so we can all go back to normal.

[Kikó]

Full national lockdown.

[Magic]

Full national lockdown.

100% this.

[Baz]

Full national lockdown.[Primary] Schools shut? And proper shut or still open for children of key workers? :youpi:

[Giggles]

I hope you're not trying to push yourself as key.

[Baz]

I hope you're not trying to push yourself as key.Well I’ve a letter that says I am.

But my child doesn’t go to primary school.

[Giggles]

Well I’ve a letter that says I am.

But my child doesn’t go to primary school.

I have one of those too and nobody would notice if I didn't turn up tomorrow.

[Baz]

I have one of those too and nobody would notice if I didn't turn up tomorrow.I work for Public Health. All hands on deck. :violin:

[Andy]

Peston says it'll be tier four for everyone, schools shut and no team games in parks.

[Don]

Team games in parks? What the fuck have I been missing down my local park exactly?

[Jimmy Floyd]

I was going to say, team games in parks went with Tier 3, never mind 4.

[Lewis]

You can see the argument for this with the vaccine on stream, but only if literally everything is rolling that out to the point where I'm not sure we should even be bothering with tests anymore since anyone conducting those could be jabbing somebody instead (and those drive-through areas would be perfect for it). We could have most of the worst cases done by the end of it.

[Yevrah]

Yep, fair point on the testing Lewis. What is the actual point of continuing to do that?

Next phase in the chapter of this gift that keeps on giving will be significant numbers of the vaccinated catching Covid in a couple of months, give or take, I'm absolutely convinced of it.

[Magic]

Yep, fair point on the testing Lewis. What is the actual point of continuing to do that?

Next phase in the chapter of this gift that keeps on giving will be significant numbers of the vaccinated catching Covid in a couple of months, give or take, I'm absolutely convinced of it.

I'd lol if it MUTATED and the vaccinated became super-spreaders. :drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

We don't have enough vaccine to do a million per 45 minutes or whatever it is Tony Blair now wants us to do.

I would love to see a full breakdown of the vaccine chain and where the blockages are that cause delays and mean us normies won't get one for a year. If it's supply of the vaccine then fine, but literally anything else is inexcusable.

[Lofty]

Cumbria police (like all regional police forces) are basically just people in dressing up outfits. The state of some of those American ones that wear big wide hats and then have to do press conferences about how the latest mass shooter has 'skipped the county' thanks to their stunning response capability.

Any cop who was good at it would go to a city force where the crime is.

True however this happened outside Bolton, Lancashire's answer to Mos Eisley space port.

[Spikey M]

Full national lockdown.

It'll be Tier 5, idiot!

(Which is actually full lockdown but they won't acknowledge it)

[Giggles]

Yep, fair point on the testing Lewis. What is the actual point of continuing to do that?

Next phase in the chapter of this gift that keeps on giving will be significant numbers of the vaccinated catching Covid in a couple of months, give or take, I'm absolutely convinced of it.

It doesn't wear off like that though does it? Like the vaccine doesn't actually give you a small does of it.


Also, lol at everyone thinking it should be rolled out in a week.

[Magic]

Full BoJo lockdown. :harold:

[Spikey M]

Not for the first time, this is all Kents fault.

[igor_balis]

Not for the first time, this is all Kents fault.

i've said it before and i'll say it again democracy simply doesn't work

[Jimmy Floyd]

Latest numbers show that scouseland is getting it in the neck next, with the rest of the north soon to follow.

Severely depressing stats today, I hope it is the worst day but experience tells me it'll be close to the best.

[Alex]

That "UK Alert Level" system rearing it's head again. :D

I'd forgotten that even existed. Has it even been mentioned at all in the last six months?

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm sure we can all agree that the 'enhanced tracing' at level 2 is something we can all look forward to.

[Lewis]

We don't have enough vaccine to do a million per 45 minutes or whatever it is Tony Blair now wants us to do.

I would love to see a full breakdown of the vaccine chain and where the blockages are that cause delays and mean us normies won't get one for a year. If it's supply of the vaccine then fine, but literally anything else is inexcusable.

A week ago some whales washed up and died on Withernsea beach, and, because there is no existing (or at least well-rehearsed) process for removing dead whales from beaches, the local news has been full of official idiots not knowing what to do so just acting busy talking to fishermen and animal charities. That is how I imagine the vaccine rollout is going.

[Yevrah]

Every time I see a picture of Johnson from that hospital, with his sleeves rolled up in his white shirt and mask, I think I'm looking at Leatherface.

[Shindig]

70% rise for Durham in the last week. Unbelievable, Jeff.

[Magic]

That SNP MP has been arrested HAHAHA.

[Lewis]

Every time I see a picture of Johnson from that hospital, with his sleeves rolled up in his white shirt and mask, I think I'm looking at Leatherface.

He was either breathing in or looking noticeably trimmer.

[Shindig]

Do yourself a favour, Boris. Don't give this one a deadline. Just say it'll be done when it's done.

[Yevrah]

The first favour he could do is turn up for this cunt on time.

[Don]

Clashing with Thiago Alcantara is a great tactic to ensure only the top tier melts tune in.

[Lewis]

If it's a proper ADDRESS THE NATION broadcast rather than just a nerdfest question and answer briefing then you would like to think he has some sort of big'un to give it about vaccine targets/timetables.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Does he fuck, he just wants to give it gravitas in the vague hope a few more people might follow the rules again.

I woz right about Cummings/Barnard Castle being a costly error, which makes it about 154-137 in the lifetime scoreboard.

[Don]

If it's a proper ADDRESS THE NATION broadcast rather than just a nerdfest question and answer briefing then you would like to think he has some sort of big'un to give it about vaccine targets/timetables.

My man out here still hoping for substance :happycry:

[Lewis]

Does he fuck, he just wants to give it gravitas in the vague hope a few more people might follow the rules again.

I woz right about Cummings/Barnard Castle being a costly error, which makes it about 154-137 in the lifetime scoreboard.

I'm still not having it. People can tell poll wankers all they want, but what he did (completely within the rules) was only bad if it was dangerous, and if it was dangerous then why would you suddenly start doing likewise? It's the same knobheads who were against the Christmas rule changes whilst planning to make the most of them.

[Lewis]

1346173200397455361

Now we're talking. The Army will probably take over two weeks from now.

[Shindig]

Boris needs to announce this by banging his fist off an oak table whilst saying, "I'm done fucking around!" And then he punches Carrie to show he means business. Michael Gove should be seen cowering in a corner whilst Boris rolls up his sleeves and advances towards him.

[Lewis]

'From eight o'clock tomorrow morning a teacher will be hanged on the hour, every hour, until all of the schools...'

[Lewis]

I'm booing the NHS on Thursday night. Randrew in particular.

[Lewis]

My man out here still hoping for substance :happycry:

Wor Boris lad. Wor Boris.

[Alex]

8pm on a Monday night - "Just to let you know, don't send your kids to school in twelve hours time".

I imagine that's a right lot of use if you're a working parent. Useless cunt.

[Kikó]

At least they didn't go in today.

[Manc]

Brutal.

[mo]

Exams cannot go ahead as planned. And that means??

[Jimmy Floyd]

I was watching some old Ab Fab clips during that, but sounds like he's got his vectors out again? Playing all the hits.

[Lewis]

If the useless are all vaccinated by mid-February then deaths ought to be down by ninety-nine per cent, which means the regulations can all fuck off, which means why can't exams just be delayed by six weeks?

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/949536/NationalLockdownGuidance.pdf

Here's the juice for any detail fans out there.

[Manc]

If the useless are all vaccinated by mid-February.

They won't be.

[mo]

If the useless are all vaccinated by mid-February then deaths ought to be down by ninety-nine per cent, which means the regulations can all fuck off, which means why can't exams just be delayed by six weeks?

They've already been pushed back by three. Another six on top and you'll be looking at Christmas for results.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why don't we take the opportunity to bin the things altogether (this is probably my most left-wing opinion).

[mo]

Why don't we take the opportunity to bin the things altogether (this is probably my most left-wing opinion).

This debate reared up when exams were previously cancelled. Trouble is, no one yet has provided a decent alternative.

[randomlegend]

I'm booing the NHS on Thursday night. Randrew in particular.

I'm sure the sales figures of your book will cheer me up.

[Boydy]

:D

Hahaha

[Raoul Duke]

Why don't we take the opportunity to bin the things altogether (this is probably my most left-wing opinion).

The Dutch don't have exams and they're the happiest kids in Europe. Might be all the drugs and 6-foot blonde supermodels, but it could be that...

[Jimmy Floyd]

This debate reared up when exams were previously cancelled. Trouble is, no one yet has provided a decent alternative.

Coursework and spoken exam interviews? I guess that's expensive but there must be another way other than 'do well at answering these arbitrarily selected questions on this arbitrary day'. The real world's not like that, or at least not in my experience.

[Luke Emia]

Schools aside this is no different from tier 4 from what I can see. Which means towns and cities will still be full of people mooching around the few shops that are open.

[Ian]

What percentage of professions are exam conditions never encountered in? Must be very high.

[Disco]

If only students had a body of work they'd done over the preceding years on which they could be judged.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I'm sure the sales figures of your book will cheer me up.

oof.

[Boydy]

Exams are good imo.

(I don't have the self disicipline to work continuously at coursework)

[mo]

Coursework and spoken exam interviews? I guess that's expensive but there must be another way other than 'do well at answering these arbitrarily selected questions on this arbitrary day'. The real world's not like that, or at least not in my experience.

Coursework has it's merits, but is too open to corruption. I like the idea of modular exams, spread out over the years, but that takes away some freedom from schools to decide what to teach pupils and when.

You're right that exams don't really fit in with the 'real world', but then neither do subjects.

[Luca]

The fact that coursework counts for very little to nothing and your leaving grades are predicated almost fully on a single exam is mind-boggling to me. The ‘real world’ requires both consistent effort and moments of performance under pressure, but generally far more of the former.

[randomlegend]

In an ideal world, I think teachers should award grades based on performance and ability demonstrated across the year. Unfortunately Wymondham College are cheating bastards and it wouldn't work.

[randomlegend]

Exams are good imo.

(I don't have the self disicipline to work continuously at coursework)

Exams were good for me for the same reason, but I'm not sure that really makes them objectively good.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I always assumed that subjects were largely a means of smuggling brain training into you, rather than being 'things' on their own merits: i.e. maths is hard logic, history is assessing evidence, English is about clear communication, foreign languages are about empathy, etc.

If those are the things you're looking to test then I'd have thought written exams in a large stuffy room in silence would only be one way of doing it and would benefit a certain type of person (me). Then again, both sides of politics seem to think that education is about loading their own take on factual worldview into people's brains, so I'm probably starting from the wrong place.

[Don]

Mid-February? You fucking massive bunch of cunts.

[randomlegend]

foreign languages are about empathy,

Empathy? For the teacher who's being bullied or what?

[Lewis]

I'm sure the sales figures of your book will cheer me up.

It did alright for what it was, so lol at you chief.

[Pepe]

Making coursework matter is the best path to grade inflation. I am on team exams. Who cares about any sort of applicability to the real world.

[Giggles]

All these courses are just to show you have the discipline to complete them and pass exams. Then you go out into the world and use about 5% of what you learned.

[Foe]

The point is to show you have the capability to consistently learn and apply new material. What that material is, is irrelevant if it’s not a physical skill.

End of term exams are shite anyway, it probably wouldn’t be a bad thing to wean children off of cramming for a test and actually concentrating and applying over the duration of the term.

The have and have not issue is brutal though. If you’re poor and don’t have the space, resources, support then you’re screwed.

[randomlegend]

It did alright for what it was, so lol at you chief.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Zg6j9mlw7Wo/maxresdefault.jpg

[Boydy]

:lol:

[Lewis]

You would kill to be associated with something so moderately successful.

[Kikó]

Is this Lewis on the ropes?

[Don]

How good are RL's rimjob for this, Boydy?

[Don]

BBC News are running a 'the new SA variant could be more resistant to the vaccine'. Let's be fucking 'avin ya :rasta:

[mugbull]

The sooner we convert historians into nurses or electricians the better. Leave Orlando Figes out there to do his thing and everyone else can figure out how to make themselves useful somehow

Also, Team Exams

[mo]

Writing his own reviews or publishing inaccurate translations?

[mugbull]

I remember reading about that and seeing he tried to throw his wife under the bus in the process. What a cretin. Great read, though

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/04/germany-denmark-second-dose-covid-vaccine

:harold:

'Against the manufacturer's wishes!' screams Helmut Kohl from beyond the grave.

[Don]

UK has been leading the way in almost every facet of this shit, as much as it pains the commentators to admit it.

This was good though:

https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/uncategorised/gps-may-be-able-to-get-extra-dose-out-of-pfizer-covid-vaccine-vial/

A load of Pfizer was wasted as they'd been told to only use 5 dosages of 0.3ml out of a 1.8m vial.

[Queenslander]

It feels like us Australians wont be getting it untill the rest of the world is back to normal.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Nor should you. I honestly find it very hard to watch the cricket from down under, especially NZ, because of the spectre of full grounds etc as I am confined to my flat for another three months.

[Queenslander]

Yeah fair enough.

[Dark Soldier]

Missus has it lets go. Time to isolate.

[Spikey M]

Put her in the shed for the week.

[Dark Soldier]

Put her in the shed for the week.

Mate I get to live in the spare room for a week, non-stop gaming. Takeaways aplenty and she cant say shit.

Big vibes.

[Spikey M]

2 weeks if you plan your own infections timing right.

[Don]

Another £4bn splurged on support for the clubs :happycry:

[Jimmy Floyd]

My cricket club has had an absolute field day with those grants, so far spent it on relaying the ground, another round of them might just see a champagne jacuzzi facility installed pitchside.

[Don]

They might be demented with the trauma and stunted educational and social development of the last 12 months but at least our next generation will still be competitive in the Ashes.

[Queenslander]

My cricket club has had an absolute field day with those grants, so far spent it on relaying the ground, another round of them might just see a champagne jacuzzi facility installed pitchside.

That is a win

[Queenslander]

They might be demented with the trauma and stunted educational and social development of the last 12 months but at least our next generation will still be competitive in the Ashes.

Mate no

[Spikey M]

Good news guys, Hungary are willing to let Brits in again.

[Don]

Hungarian whores :drool:

On further good news, I note it's FA Cup weekend coming up so that's less football to distract us from the dark empty void in our hearts and souls.

[Lofty]

Boris press conference at 5pm.

[Spikey M]

Woop. Woop.

[Kikó]

Lockdown is cancelled. Schools are safe.

[Jimmy Floyd]

'We've found that there was never a virus after all, and 70,000 people have accordingly risen from the grave, necessitating a further lockdown'.

[Spikey M]

The South African variant is actually Ebola and there's 1000 cases in Surrey.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Ebola would know to head straight for Essex.

[Spikey M]

Bleeding orifices are a penny a dozen this way.

[Giggles]

Whoever runs the Fianna Fáil Twitter page stuck up that they’re closing the schools til end of January before deleting it because the announcement is tomorrow. Nothing riles up the type of cunt that phones into the radio more than a teacher being off.

[Boydy]

The NI Executive at Stormont was supposed to meet yesterday evening after the four nations briefing thing with Boris to tighten our restrictions. Then it was apparently off and they'd meet this morning. Then they did meet but only put out a holding statement and said they'd meet today.

They didn't meet until this afternoon at 4pm. Then that was paused during it for some reason and they're currently still meeting.

And now this:

1346523053984018440


Absolutely fucking useless.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Is the executive not piloted by two women who absolutely can't stand the sight of each other? A truly magnificent platform for government.

[Boydy]

Yep.

[Lewis]

It's a massive success on its own term.

[Giggles]

Failed state.

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ErCPgCjXEAE9Vp0?format=jpg&name=medium

The entire public sector needs to be burned down.

[Baz]

Fuck that. You're lucky some [money-grabbing] people will work Saturdays.

If you have a proper job, you don't work weekends.

[Jimmy Floyd]

You'd best hope you don't have a heart attack on a Sunday then, as in your world the hospital will be shut.

[Baz]

I hope I don't have a heart attack at all, th

[Baz]

help i thi

[Lewis]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ErCPgCjXEAE9Vp0?format=jpg&name=medium

The entire public sector needs to be burned down.

I saw this last night but didn't post it because I figured there must be some sort of reasonable explanation for it and didn't want to go claiming premature e-victories.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Anything to do with institutional inertia in the public sector is a safe bet. There are good people but the institutional dynamism required for this sort of thing just does not exist.

[Kikó]

Sunday is a holy day to be fair.

[Lewis]

Anything to do with institutional inertia in the public sector is a safe bet. There are good people but the institutional dynamism required for this sort of thing just does not exist.

They could have done with somebody in government who has written extensively about this sort of thing.

[Don]

The clapping is back as of tomorrow :drool:

[SvN]

I love how the stupid bint has just decided "I'm bringing it back". Get fucked.

[Spikey M]

She invented clapping, show some fucking respect.

[Lewis]

It's not really the weather for it.

[Don]

I did think 'fair fucking play to the sort of melt who believes so strongly as to put layers on and step out for this'.

My other related thoughts today include:

- is there actually a ceiling to how long/many of these lockdowns people will swallow*? What would a rebellion even look like to these melts?
- am I experiencing classic long-COVID? The fatigue in the last hour or two has been bad. I just thought it was lacl of exercise/sunlight/life but I imagine if some fatty wasteman was experiencing this, I could see why they might make a big deal of it.
* - A geezer on a work call just dropped the word 'acquiesce' when talking about a customer's request and yet I get the insults for my vernacular? That's brexit britain for you.

[Yevrah]

On the how long question, my guess would be that if it's found that the double dose of vaccine doesn't offer immunity beyond a few months and we're essentially back to square one as a result, we'll need a plan B.

[Lewis]

In that case Plan B would just be routine vaccinations and going back to normal. What else could you do?

[Yevrah]

In that case Plan B would just be routine vaccinations and going back to normal. What else could you do?

Well, you could start the process from last March again...

[Don]

Well, you could start the process from last March again...

This, if the health service couldn't cope and leaders couldn't come to terms with natural selection. The majority would disagree by some point (if we haven't got there already) but aside from tweet about it, I wonder just how many would have the gumption to make any sort of stand.

PS. Long COVID is in the mind. Just did my stretches routine and feeling fine.

[Jimmy Floyd]

You could stay locked down forever. I reckon there are a bigger than you'd think chunk of the population who genuinely want this. The pro-lockdown polling hasn't budged at all since day one.

And as a reminder, it splits only by age (the older the more cautious) and gender (the more female the more cautious). Politics etc not a factor at all even though both sides on twitter have been desperate to make it about politics/the culture war all along.

[Boydy]

That report from University College Hospital on the BBC News at 6 was really grim.

[Don]

That report from University College Hospital on the BBC News at 6 was really grim.

No spoilers pls, I'm waiting for the 10pm showing.

[Jimmy Floyd]

- am I experiencing classic long-COVID? The fatigue in the last hour or two has been bad. I just thought it was lacl of exercise/sunlight/life but I imagine if some fatty wasteman was experiencing this, I could see why they might make a big deal of it.

And to answer this question, no, you're just absolutely fed up and this is what happens in that state.

[Giggles]

Taz is getting way worse at pretending he’s not shitting himself. That projecting :drool:

[Lewis]

You could stay locked down forever. I reckon there are a bigger than you'd think chunk of the population who genuinely want this. The pro-lockdown polling hasn't budged at all since day one.

And as a reminder, it splits only by age (the older the more cautious) and gender (the more female the more cautious). Politics etc not a factor at all even though both sides on twitter have been desperate to make it about politics/the culture war all along.

It might be different now we're in a proper LOCKDOWN, but nobody I know was following the tier system properly, so I'm always sceptical about the polling. I think most people agree with general restrictions but think they know better where it suits them, i.e. having people in the house but sitting two meters apart, which is basically pointless.

[Boydy]

Yeah, people are very good at thinking the rules don't apply to them.

[Lewis]

There is a heated debate on the local news now about what 'exercise locally' means. If you can't work that out then you deserve it.

[Yevrah]

There is a heated debate on the local news now about what 'exercise locally' means. If you can't work that out then you deserve it.

I thought the same with all the 'substantial meal' crap. Whether you agreed with the rule or not, if you can't work out what constitutes one then there's no saving you.

[Lewis]

Even more so given that 'table meal' is a well-established thing that every pub knows and could have easily gotten around until various mongs who didn't know it became experts on the matter.

[randomlegend]

On the how long question, my guess would be that if it's found that the double dose of vaccine doesn't offer immunity beyond a few months and we're essentially back to square one as a result, we'll need a plan B.

It's possible people will need booster shots of the vaccine in future but as far as I understand there's no reason it should just stop working after a few months.

The good thing about the mRNA vaccines like the Pfizer one is that if it does mutate to the point the vaccine becomes less or ineffective then it is a much simpler process to create a new version effective against a new strain than with traditional vaccines.

[randomlegend]

It's looking likely I'll get drafted in to help on the adult side at some point, which never happened last time. The hospitals are getting really bad.

[Magic]

You lot say that every winter.

[randomlegend]

Yes. The hospitals are really bad every winter. This is shaping up to be a lot worse.

[Magic]

And that too.

[randomlegend]

Because it's true, yes.

[Boydy]

There is a heated debate on the local news now about what 'exercise locally' means. If you can't work that out then you deserve it.


I thought the same with all the 'substantial meal' crap. Whether you agreed with the rule or not, if you can't work out what constitutes one then there's no saving you.

People quibbling over the meaning of these things are always just looking to see what they can get away with. Letter of law shite rather than spirt of the law. They should be given a kick up the hole and locked in their houses.

[Giggles]

People are just cunts and will twist anything so suit themselves no matter how tight it is.

[Magic]

People are just cunts and will twist anything so suit themselves no matter how tight it is.

We still on about restrictions here lmao

[Baz]

Wow, they're really cancelling people getting their second dose of the vaccine to give new people the first dose, and thus improve the figures? :harold:

[Don]

No spoilers pls, I'm waiting for the 10pm showing.

Well that was disappointing. They talked of 20 and 30 year olds in ICU but the best they could find was 2 old ethnics (1 preggers) and some old geezer who had half his teeth missing.

[randomlegend]

Wow, they're really cancelling people getting their second dose of the vaccine to give new people the first dose, and thus improve the figures? :harold:

No.

The first dose very likely provides 80-90% of people with effective protection. It's about making a decision on whether giving as many people as possible 1 dose ASAP is better than giving half as many people 2 doses in the same time. Is the modest increase in effect from 2 doses worth it over the increase in people reached or not?

Nobody really knows the answer to this as the studies haven't been and can't be done. It's a difficult call.

[Magic]

Sounds safe.

[randomlegend]

What do you care, it's not real anyway.

[Baz]

Oh. Well my Nan’s had her second dose this morning so at least I’ll get good phone signal in her house now.

[Spikey M]

I thought the same with all the 'substantial meal' crap. Whether you agreed with the rule or not, if you can't work out what constitutes one then there's no saving you.

I thought so too, but then they said a Scotch Egg was a substantial meal and I felt confused, fat and hungry all at the same time.

[Queenslander]

UK covid could blow up in Brisbane in a few days

[Spikey M]

https://media.tenor.com/images/24cb7f5be1e86b6537e0c2b1438b7d5d/tenor.gif

[Kikó]

Oh. Well my Nan’s had her second dose this morning so at least I’ll get good phone signal in her house now.

:D

well played.

[Queenslander]

We still accept flights from the UK with 14 day quarantine though so that is nice of us.

[Yevrah]

I thought so too, but then they said a Scotch Egg was a substantial meal and I felt confused, fat and hungry all at the same time.

While those Scotch Eggs (made in actual Scotland, from girders, I imagine) looked delicious, they were clearly a starter at best.

[SvN]

Not that I want to get into this, but isn't a starter a meal? It's not unheard of for someone to order a starter for lunch.

[Lewis]

1347136547179667458

I'm not going to read the article and ruin it. :cool:

[SvN]

"I don't want any of that foreign muck".

[Don]

My mum's in that camp. Brand loyalty to Oxford and fear of the unknown rather than patriotism are to blame.

[Kikó]

Okay I'm on team "why bother" now. Open the clubs!

[Magic]

Sturgeon apparently keeps refusing to call it the OXFORD vaccine. :harold:

[randomlegend]

The Pfizer one is better...

[Jimmy Floyd]

I don't know if it's always been the case or if it's become worse this year, but most people don't read anything, do they? They can't even get to the end of sentences. It's all I can conclude from things like that.

[Magic]

See the Independent were making it look like England was so fucked it was transporting COVID patients to Scotland when in reality it was a few patients from Cumbria going to Glasgow. :harold:

[Magic]

Early 2021: https://inews.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-lockdown-nhs-hospitals-stretched-to-breaking-point-cases-rise-818324

Late 2020: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/doctors-warn-nhs-breaking-point-23011499

Early 2020: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/press/press-releases/winter-daily-situational-report-16-january

2019: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/nhs-hospitals-boris-johnson-winter-crisis-emergency-beds-a9242961.html

2018: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jan/03/nhs-breaking-point-a-and-e-crisis-royal-stoke-university-hospital

2017: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/feb/20/nhs-at-breaking-point-according-to-british-medical-association

2016: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/aug/25/nhs-at-breaking-point-despite-deficit-reduction-say-trusts

2015: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/15/a-national-tragedy-is-unfolding-as-our-nhs-reaches-breaking-point

[Pepe]

Magic :cool:

[Ian]

The NHS will be fine as I assume the £350m the bus promised has started rolling in now, right?

[Don]

I'm gonna see what goal contribution stats our boy comes back with before declaring victory for magic :huhu:

[randomlegend]

Winter in the NHS is horrendous, yes. This is even worse than a usual winter, yes.

I'm sure the people who've had their cancer surgeries delayed again will be reassured by the fact Magic thinks we're making it up for some reason.

[Pepe]

Not a single hyperlink. Weak.

[Magic]

"Wolf! Wolf!"

[Giggles]

The Pfizer one is better...

Pfizer didn't win t'war though.

[Kikó]

Another one lost to the freedom of knowing the truth. Fucking hell it's depressing.

[Magic]

Winter in the NHS is horrendous, yes. This is even worse than a usual winter, yes.

I'm sure the people who've had their cancer surgeries delayed again will be reassured by the fact Magic thinks we're making it up for some reason.

"Unprepared". "Unprecedented". etc etc etc

Yes they'll be delighted they've had their surgeries delayed (again) because of the annual problem the NHS has, and has had for years and years previously. Delighted.

[randomlegend]

What are you on about?

The winters are usually bad, but not bad enough to cancel elective operations.

This year is bad enough to have delayed elective surgeries.

This is quite straightforward.