Covid-19 Travel for exercise - Reasonable distance

[SaraR]

Last spring we had the capital almost totally isolated from the rest of the country for about a month, just necessary traffic allowed, police on almost all roads blocking. In a few days some invented it as a game to try to look for unblocked roads to go through, in the end it was not very difficult as there just were not enough policemen. No body knows if it worked or not.

But considering this Wuhanflu travelling is not the main problem as that infects nobody. Again preventing large meetings is kind of secondary tactic again. The problem is direct close contact with unknown people, as far as I have seen no government has tried to tackle that directly. all just with indirect measures. Maybe it would be time to try that too, so far most other interventions have not worked that well.

a) it's not a flu (influenza) virus, it's a Coronavirus. If you need a shortform 'rona seems to be quite popular.

b) the problem is close contact with people you know. it's a lot harder to think of friends as potential carriers and you are likely to spend more time with and be closer to friends than strangers. social gatherings, especially indoors and while eating and drinking, are spreading disasters in the making.

 

[TLM]

Before this there were at least four corona variants causing short fairly harmless flu like symptoms. Referring to them. Ok maybe I'll go back to Wuhanvirus.

the problem is close contact with people you know.

I do. But there are more than few people who do not habitually think much and when what they see are travel restrictions that's what they respond as the problem.

 

[Toddy]

We just call it covid-19. It's specific enough to be clear.

If folks had just settled down and kept apart until the disease withered and died, it would all have been over in a few months.
Instead the whole world is a mess because they didn't.

 

[Allison McKenzie]

We just call it covid-19. It's specific enough to be clear.

Are we not allowed to call the new strain (latest version) covid-20?

 

[Oliver G]

We've been calling the new strain the Kent virus up here, maybe when there are enough strains we can start a loyalty scheme with the vaccinations, for every 8 you get a free mmr jab?

 

[slowworm]

C19-PO has a certain ring to it.

 

[Toddy]

Are we not allowed to call the new strain (latest version) covid-20?

No idea, is it not just a variant of the covid-19 though....add on a tag to that maybe ?

 

[Toddy]

C19-PO has a certain ring to it.

I like that

 

[Lean'n'mean]

Are we not allowed to call the new strain (latest version) covid-20?

You can, though officially it has been given a few very complicated names but >Variant of concern 202012/01 < is prehaps the easiest of them to drop into a conservation.

 

[bearbait]

Regarding the two ladies hiking in Derbyshire who were fined (https://bushcraftuk.com/community/t...rcise-reasonable-distance.157112/post-1961965) and their coffees being classed as a picnic...

As government minister Michael Gove has stated that a Scotch Egg is a "substantial meal" then I reckon that a coffee definitely classes as a picnic?

 

[Toddy]

Off topic re distance, but an interesting little read on the state of play kind of thing.

What’s Ahead for SARS-CoV-2 Research in 2021

From new treatments to an investigation into the virus's origins, here are some of the developments we can expect this year.

www.the-scientist.com

 

[C_Claycomb]

Bearbait,
From The Telegraph

 

[Fadcode]

I dont think confusing people by renaming the virus is a good idea, when the virus first came out last year, and it made the headlines, there were large queues of people in Liverpool at the Jobcentres, they thought it was a new benefit, and they wanted to make sure they didn't miss out on it, same when the headline said there were 1000,s of jobs in jeopardy there was a rush at Lime Street station as people queued up to by train tickets to Jeopardy in the hope of getting a job there.

 

[bearbait]

Good cartoon; ta!

And the train to Jeopardy. I wonder if there are any ministerial jobs there in Jeopardy?

There's been some great humour circulating during the C19 business via various channels. It helps us all to smile or laugh occasionally!

I particularly like this one on the new Covid regulations:

 

[plastic-ninja]

You'd think so.......

My Father has been in self isolation since March Last year with me being his only contact for company and food deliveries

He was admitted to Hospital on 27th Dec after being found by his bedside. (non covid related)

Whilst waiting for a Rehab bed placement he has now contracted Covid whilst in Hospital.

Really sorry to hear that.
Hospital is the last place I’d want to have to go to right now.
I hope he’s ok.

 

[plastic-ninja]

A friend was pulled over by the police for 'driving erratically'....until she pointed out that she'd been chicaning around the potholes
The policeman just quietly nodded in agreement.
Thankfully that road was re-tarmaced a month later, but it was a nightmare to drive for a while.
Maybe the roads aren't being repaired as well as they might be just now ?

You may have a point there. I managed to put one wheel into a pothole the size of Derwentwater the other morning dropping my wife off at work. It covered a good 4m long and went right across the lane so was not easy to avoid at all.
On the approach road to our local hospital!

 

[plastic-ninja]

We had only two cases in our immediate area, until Christmas when people came from all over the country,london Wales Birmingham etc to visit family for the holidays. Suddenly we had ten cases!
People are still having parties that the police have to break up risking their health to deal with them.
I would hope that most people here are sensible enough to do as told and stay home. Yes its challenging especially if you have small children and no garden, and live in an urban environment. But realy , bending the rules because you feel your own situation is different and requires you to modify the rules to suit your own situation is sadly causing many to say well if they can do it, whycant I.
It's just as hard for me to stay home alone with no personal one to one social interaction at all.
I've done it for many months now, as my social bubble broke down last may. As the friends who were also vunerabl, that asked me to bubble with them were not sticking to the rules,and again I was offered physical aggression from the husband of my friend for daring to bring it up.
We are no longer friends.
Most of my other local friends work so I cannot bubble with them being vunerable, whereas they are not.
I'm coping alone with very little support, and have had to deal with a couple of serious health scares that required hospitalisation and a broken foot along with everything else on my own.
I've had some very, very tough times in the past but loneliness in these circumstances, is the hardest, believe me.
It's easy to put on a mask, and keep your distance if you have to be out and about. It's not easy to not be lonely because everyone around you isn't sticking to the rules and putting your life at risk because you are vunerable and still have to do everything for yourself.

Sorry to rant guys, but you may have guessed I'm very angry and fed up with certain sections of society that think they are special cases or just dont care.
That is not to berate those that have small kids and have a genuine need to drive somewhere safe to exercise.
The rest of us are adults, and should just behave!

The isolation for many people is the worst aspect of the pandemic.
Mental health issues are widespread and definitely getting worse.
If you need to chat drop me a pm for my Messenger link. I’m usually up late at night and happy to chat with you about anything or nothing. If you just need to “hear” a friendly voice or have a “normal” conversation I’m here.
Simon

 

[Toddy]

That's a thoughtful idea and I'm sure that there is more than one member who might like simple conversation with someone sharing similar interests.

As an idea, might I suggest that if folks would like to maybe have closer links, that Full Members is slightly more private a place to start such a thread ? and then take things from there.

 

[Woody girl]

That's a very kind offer. I'm coping ok, not enjoying it, but I find that trying to find three things to be thankful for each day is quite a good tactic to keep myself as positive as possible.
I found it hard to think of things at first, but it has become easier with time.
The more stories I hear about how people are struggling with various issues, it makes me thankful that I dont have to deal with those things.
It's better to think of what's positive in my life than dwell on what's negative.
Some examples.

No one that I know has died from covid.

I can still get out for a short walk and breath fresh air.

I'm learning how to do without certain things.

I have enough room to grow some veg in my garden.

The sun is shining today.

I made a years worth of marmalade today.

Thank goodness I'm not having to worry about feeding school age children.

I have a small notebook, and write them down when I think of them, and if I feel a bit low, I can read through and count my blessings, instead of dwell on what is missing from life at present.
Everyone will have different things, and I can imagine that struggling with income, mortgages/rent, home schooling, feeding kids, loss of job etc may seem that ones whole world has collapsed, but finding the small positive is a great help.
Even if you dont realy feel that you care when it's a sunny day, as your kids are moaning or your partner is getting realy crabby with worry.
It will help give yourself a more positive attitude, and help you cope with all the negative stuff.
That's what I do, and so far, I have only had a few moments of despair in the last year or so. It's not a perfect technique, but it's quite effective in helping the glass half full attitude, instead of the glass half empty one.