Hmm I have just heard Radio Scotland read out a text message complaining about restrictions that they also read out on the evening news yesterday . We are poorly served by BBC Scotland news.
@duckman haha return to work haha.
I returned with leg in one of those RoboCop braces after wrecking my knee. Asked how they can make my return easier. I suggest using the empty room on the ground floor and no covers at other end of school. First non contact. Was cover at furthest point on third floor.
@gordimhor Radio Shortbreid is bloody awful for allowing phookwits on.
If you're ever thinking your friends or family are annoying you, give call kaye 10 minutes of your time, you'll immediately realise it could be worse. 😅
Radio Shortbreid is bloody awful for allowing phookwits on.
All radio phone are frightening! Caught 10 mins of 5 Live yesterday where the presenter was saying that it seems like the mood in the country is becoming more anti lockdown. Based on the calls they'd had which by an large seem to be dominated by the sorts of people who can devote a morning to dialling into radio call ins.
"That was Prof Smith, Head of the Oxford immunology research centre. Now over to Barry from Solihull who thinks freedom comes without responsibilities. Over to you Barry, how will you be spending Christmas..."
But Barry's granny's postman's friend's cousin says that they read on Facebook...
Professor what's his face obviously hasn't done his own research.
I refuse to listen to any show that has opinion shows on anything other than musical taste.
And another one, work colleague just messaged to say he’s positive.
It’s rife now
We're a team of 36 across the UK. In the last 18 months, despite being in schools daily, we've had three staff get the 'rona and perhaps half a dozen isolation pings.
The last 10 days - I've 8 staff or thier direct family with it or/and isolating.
All radio phone are frightening!
It's not just the phone ins, those are a given. After the Tory party scandal last week, they had a 20 year old weegie lass on getting interviewed who had been fined for having 3 house parties in the middle of it, May 2020.
Thicker than a Michelle McManus jobbie she was.
Thicker than a Michelle McManus jobbie she was.
You, sir, owe me a keyboard.
<goes off to make more coffee>
Canny take the credit, that's one of Tam Cowans finest. 🙂
I have taken everything home that I need to set work for the next month and there is a depressing sense of inevitability about it all
I didn't bother taking stuff home, I'd be very surprised indeed if we have the sort of restrictions that mean we're not allowed in at all and I intend to enjoy the holidays without a laptop and pile of books lurking in the corner reminding me about work!
I've largely given up making predictions but my gut feeling is that unless things go properly tits up we'll be back in after the holidays. The knock on effects of closing schools again would be massive and amongst everything else they would almost certainly have to cancel exams again. I'm actually starting to wonder if that might happen anyway for 'equity' reasons.
Didn't say I was looking at it till wee Nicky stands on the podium with her sad puss. But they are already able to predict that schools will back while everything else is still restricted so you are probably right.
I didn’t bother taking stuff home, I’d be very surprised indeed if we have the sort of restrictions that mean we’re not allowed in at all and I intend to enjoy the holidays without a laptop and pile of books lurking in the corner reminding me about work!
I’ve largely given up making predictions but my gut feeling is that unless things go properly tits up we’ll be back in after the holidays.
My work has put folk on either full or part time w@h until at least mid Jan. Large employer, and did a full return to the office as soon as rules allowed. Critical infrastructure so have tended to be a bit ahead of the curve restrictions wise.
Thicker than a Michelle McManus jobbie she was.
😀 😀 😀
It's restrictions rather than lockdown. The Freedumb brigade need to untwist their Primark knickers.
Hospitality still open but with restrictions, household mixing still okay just guidance on sensible limits. Big events with large crowds are the only thing that's actually stopped.
My work has put folk on either full or part time w@h until at least mid Jan. Large employer, and did a full return to the office as soon as rules allowed. Critical infrastructure so have tended to be a bit ahead of the curve restrictions wise.
I'm a teacher and was referring to schools, I'm sure other sectors will be different but they've made it pretty clear we'll be the last thing to shut. I expect we'll have another term like this one of limping along. Personally I'm fine with that, I think it's better than the alternative, school closures.
Poly, I should quantify; my idea of a “Short one now” is a month,with minimal restrictions rather than a lockdown now to Easter or July as previous. I think restrictions should have been introduced earlier with Christmas not being some sacred cow that can’t be touched.
I’d agree with all of that - my point was that these very minor restrictions will have such little impact (and too late) that we still have serious risk of lockdown Jan-Easter…
There is no stomach for that with Westminster surely.
Tbh, this is the first time we seem to be getting a lot of positives amongst workforce since it started.
Genuine worries we may not have enough folks to keep plant running.
We're not too worried yet but certainly don't want to have to start pulling folk in. Shut down or not, we'll still need the bodies for emergency scheme.
Wow. 35% of tests reporting positive & over 20,000 cases. That's a lot.
That's 3 days though, so 20,000 is actually under 7000 per day. High, yes, but its the link between that and hospital and death that's the crux.
I wonder if the high positivity rate is perhaps influenced by the sheer amount of folk doing LFTs now, getting a positive then going PCR, often asymptomatic.
Before those folks wouldn't have even tested as LFTs weren't as widely in use, and folk only went for PCRs with symptoms or if they'd been pinged.
Who knows, so many variables.
Edit - ignore me, that's a daily 20k 👆🏼
Nobeerinthefridge
Free Member
That’s 3 days though, so 20,000 is actually under 7000 per day. High, yes, but its the link between that and hospital and death that’s the crux.
Need a few days to see the data settle tbh, but really it looks more like a 15/16k average over the 5 days or so. Could potentially be a peak tbh. But premature to be confident of that though, get over the holiday period variability in data.
Within 24hours of each other:
- Announcement to all schools too maintain bubbles, distancing and masks (etc), reduce external visitors and be on this guard.
- Stadiums open for thousands to gather.
🤔
Are we so many layers of guidance and have to in, that we are creating so many oxymoronic decisions?
Masks to stay in law for another 2 weeks, probably no bad thing.
Anyone pick up what is the deal with self isolation after positive test, legality wise?
Apparently self-isolation has never been law in Scotland, just advice.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-59668602
OK cheers, things you I hadn't picked in 2 years of pandemic!!
Masks to stay in law for another 2 weeks, probably no bad thing.
I've noticed their use dwindling recently. It's really only supermarkets I go near shop wise but I definitely felt like the odd one out on Saturday in Morrison's.
@LD That's contacts in a house, not the person testing positive. Two negative tests on day 5/6 and your free day 7. That's what the NHS told me last weekend. Fully vax'd up and if your a close contact your don't need to isolate as well, juts test everyday for the week and any symptoms you need to isolate.
So daughter 1 and ex wife had to isolate, but daughter 2 could go to school as been jabbed
Agreed it's changed so much it's impossible to keep track
edit: should have said daughter 1 and ex wife both tested positive and told to isolate by the NHS
Interesting to read about isolation rules. I came on to ask the same thing as it wasn’t mentioned during the briefing. I also never realized that it was only ever guidance. I guess that guidance isn’t going to change.
Not sure I get the logic on face masks. I thought the current spike was being driven by spread within households where masks aren’t being worn anyway.
We’ve had a few months with more mask wearing in Scotland than in England. Do we see any evidence that we are seeing less transmission due to extra mask wearing or are there too many other variables to be able to assess the impact of a single intervention?
I’ve noticed their use dwindling recently. It’s really only supermarkets I go near shop wise but I definitely felt like the odd one out on Saturday in Morrison’s.
Aye, same here. Definitely less mask wearing going on. I'm now in the routine of doing the weekly shop at 7am on a Saturday but last week had to do it daytime on Friday instead. Hugely busier, some folk with no concept of personal space, and far, far less mask wearing. Only bonus was the wine/beer aisles were open so I stocked up - the only downside to pre-10am shopping.
I don't mind being an odd one out re masks.
Thing is although Scotland has "better" mask rules as soon as it was dropped in schools game's a bogie.
Staff are dropping like flies, this is my first day back. Two years a almost made and the only place I could have got infection from is school and only difference to routine was no masks in class. BAM!
I wonder what is being said to employers re testing positive, isolating sick leave, no symptoms etc.
@grantyboy are you saying it is law to isolate if you test positive?
Changes are being made to self-isolation rules in line with public health advice and testing requirements to help maximise testing capacity and ensure a speedier start to the process of contact tracing.
In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that anyone who tests positive for Covid-19, regardless of vaccination status, must still self-isolate for 10 days. However, from tomorrow, 6 January, new cases will be advised they can end self-isolation if they don’t have a fever and test negative on a Lateral Flow Device (LFD) on Day 6 and again at least 24 hours later.
Rules. Must. Advised. All there clear as mud.
Thing is although Scotland has “better” mask rules as soon as it was dropped in schools game’s a bogie.
Yup - I know a few teachers. One had 1/3 of the class off with it last week and also 1/4 of the teachers.
We got hit with it last week, all through the primary school and an associated birthday party. I know at least 16 of us in 4 households affected. Half the school was shut to contain it. Tiny school though so not that impressive!
This latest one seems to spread easier but not be as dangerous. Going though our school like rumours of a fight.
I'm less convinced than ever that mask wearing has any impact.
Comparing infection rates between Scotland and England, there is no obvious benefit (one could almost argue it's a negative)
Wearing a mask to walk from the door of a pub/cafe to a table and again when leaving but not wearing it for 2-3 hours whilst sitting down, Why?
Mask wearing is still almost 100% up here though. And I still follow the guidance.
Hey @LD, daughter 1 and ex wife was told to isolate by NHS when they reported their positive test. I thought it was law from the way they were told, but I'm not 100% there
I thought daughter 2 would need to isolate as well as close contact and all live under one roof. But NHS said as she had a jab she doesn't need to isolate and could carry on as normal effectively, unless she got sick and tested positive during that initial week
Two negative tests on day 5/6 and your free day 7. That’s what the NHS told me last weekend.
@grantyboy every single thing I have been sent by the NHS has said it's negative tests from day 6 onwards not day 5. Not that it matters because I'm still strongly positive on the later flow.
^ this, it's two consecutive negative LFT's from day 6 onwards for early release, otherwise it's day 10.
Missus and daughter both have/had it over the past week. Still not got it.
Aye you guys are right, I'm off by a day
I'm on day 6 (as is the wife) and we were both still positive on lateral flows today 🙁
I reckon, and I think the data supports this, that dicking about with the fine details of restrictions makes absolutely her haw difference to case numbers.
Yep, as long as schools and big gatherins pubs etc are maskless then that's it. I'm still wearing in class and indoor public places but then I'm a few days out of positive and feel rubbish, now got a follow up cold, so I'll keep mask wearing.
Apparently self-isolation has never been law in Scotland, just advice.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-59668602/blockquote >I'm pretty certain that at least during the original wave the requirement to isolate if a confirmed positive was a legal requirement. I can't be bothered trawling through the old SIs to check. The requirement to isolate as a named contact was never law AFAIK.
I’m less convinced than ever that mask wearing has any impact.
Comparing infection rates between Scotland and England, there is no obvious benefit (one could almost argue it’s a negative)
I have to say whilst I've been an avid mask wearer and continue to do so, I'm inclined to agree with Scotroutes. We effectively have england as a massive control group at the moment (I was there last week and virtually nobody was wearing masks in any setting I saw). I know plenty of positive cases, including school age people - but amateur epidemiology suggest they probably didn't get infected at school (e.g. the whole class didn't get sick but everyone at the party did - which was made up of multiple classes!).
one thing to bear in mind is Scotland has this new subvariant BA.2 which is why we are seeing more cases than in England, but England is now seeing the start BA.2 take hold and spread so expect an uptick in cases south of the border. So it negates comparing the two different mask rules
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/nicola-sturgeon-omicron-ba-2-scottish-england-b2036352.html
If everyone was wearing properly fitting FFP-rated masks I'm sure they'd make a difference. I know there are studies which do show a benefit of bog standard cotton masks, but in real life conditions I'm quite sceptical. They do however provide a reminder that the pandemic is still 'a thing'. That's a positive or a negative depending on your perspective I guess!
I have to say whilst I’ve been an avid mask wearer and continue to do so, I’m inclined to agree with Scotroutes. We effectively have england as a massive control group at the moment (I was there last week and virtually nobody was wearing masks in any setting I saw).
But it's not really a "control group", as shown by you been there.
On masks
In my hospital we were wearing just the basic masks for caring for covid positive patients with the ffp3 masks only for "areosolising procedures" ie where you would get splattered with droplets, so we spent many hours a day in close proximity to covid positive people with just the basic ffp2 masks.
At a guesstimate 1/4 - 1/3 of the staff caught covid. Now this is only anecdote of course but my takaway from that is the basic ffp2 masks provided some protection but not complete protection which is in line with the research that basic masks reduce your chances of catching it by around 70%
@tjagain by 'basic' ffp2 mask do you mean something similar to the below?
https://www.boots.com/boots-protective-ffp2-nr-face-masks-5s-10292473
Or are you meaning the standard lightweight surgical masks? e.g
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7553134?clickPR=plp:1:4
Either way, they are both probably more effective that the scraps of cotton worn by most people on the train etc!
I have a few masks where I can feel most of the airflow is through the gaps around the nose and the sides... i.e. not doing any filtering when breathing normally, and probably only helpful to catch a cough or sneeze
the argos type but both are offering the same protection
Even a scarf reduces spread of exhaled droplets significantly