[colinJYD]

Well the world is in a panic over all these deaths and ill folk, but considering the number of deaths through car crashes and other accidents every day of the year filling A&E departments, it is yet just another statistic of death.

The mortality rate is not that high, compared to say the black death in the middle ages or e coli in Africa which we see today, just unfortunate if you are one of the casualties, but is seems Covid-19 is highly infectious and spreads easily.

Where the problem will be is not the deaths or suffering caused by Covid-19, it is the our way of life that is going to be affected the most. Many will lose their jobs or be temporary suspended from work, as the aircraft industry, car industry, transport, services and shops close down. How do they pay their bills?

Also after years of austerity in many western countries, many people live by hand to mouth with each pay cheque, so how do they pay mortgages, fuel bills and for food, if no money coming in, and have no money in the bank.

My other worry is clampdown, if we get divided up by restricted travel, military intervention , police state, our democratic way of life is at risk. This is all in the balance as restrictive powers are handed to a Government in peacetime.

Finally panicking does not help by stockpiling or the greed of people selling items at triple the price online, but I assume that human nature, as it does not take much to strip the veneer of civilisation. Though on the other hand we see stories of the good samaritan, with people helping out with good deeds to the vulnerable that are affected by this.

Just hope it all finishes sooner than later, and we get back to normal, and hopefully with as little number of deaths as possible.

So thats my thoughts, What do you say about it?

 

[freddyford]

Unfortunately, I personally don't think it will be a quick fix. We have friends whose Wife is a Dispencer in a Drs surgery. She and two others are working flat out to dispence prescriptions. They are suffering abuse and so on. We normally shop on a Monday but due to a funeral, it was the Tuesday last that HM Govt announced its policy. We were shoved aside, ignored when trying to get by etc etc. We were not stockpiling. My Wife wanted a kitchen roll, which her preferred one is a double pack. NO only two 4 packs left, so we took one. Toilet rolls, the one we use comes in a pack of four doubles ( equivelant to 8) this is a our usual. Fortunately they were the only ones left. So one pack was collected. NO dettol, usual purchase. No wipes no antiseptic hand wash. and so on. My Wife has two auto immune illnesses, one affects her heart and lungs so she is at risk, I went to the customer counter and asked about home delivery in the event of a lock down. NO slots for at least a fortnight.My Wife also has to follow a very strict diet. Most of that had gone when normally the shelves stay well stocked. I am quite sure that the need for specialist food has not increased just something to rip off the shelf. Me I am ticked a s my McVities digestives had all gone, swines!!!!!!!

France didn't take it seriously, next day draconian measures. Italy it;s usual laid back self, now has the highest number of deaths even above China. The Canadians are taking it very seriously pictures of their open spaces deserted.
My Wife and I are fortunate in that our mortgage has been paid and we are pensioners but many must be very worried with mortgages and rent as well as having to feed a family. Many no doubt will have seen the Critical Care Nurse who broke down when telling of coming off shift after caring for people only to find the shop shelves stripped. Come on, lets remember not to be greedy and although my Wife has health problems She adopts the attitude that many are far worse off than she. Just buy what you need. I will shut up but what concerns me is what is going on? Are these people who strip shelves and sell it on at inflated prices indigeonous Bristish or is it a trait of the uncontolled influx from countries who have a sod you jack attitude.
Sorry about the language and this is not racist merely an observation. of which I appreciate can be challenged. I was born in the last war and although there were many scams this dog eat dog attitude appears to be getting much worse.

 

[colinJYD]

Yes Freddy its a sad situation, and with the new measures of closing down schools and social businesses, like pubs cafes restaurants, cinemas, ect, introduced today, it will definately be far worse. Many people will just be sacked rather than told that they will be retained after this is over, especially the service industry. The government have stated they will compensate with some money, but how long does that take to filter through. Thousands or even millions of workers will lose jobs. Its crazy!

I feel by introducing the above closures and shutdown of society so early in their famous curve that they keep showing us on TV, (max peak of virus affecting NHS loading), the government will cause more disruption to peoples lives, through people not being able to pay bills, and/or having no social life, causing mental anguish and even worst case suicides, than any deaths that the virus can cause.

Just hope it does not go on for too many months, and things return to normal.

 

[freddyford]

Locally a food bank was broken into and stripped. No chance to restock so those needy people have got to suffer. This am received a clip from Canada whereby a woman who had the virus had broken curfew and was arrested and taken to hospital.
Also it was said that the toilet roll shortage was due to some bright thing that had posted on social media that ALL toilet rolls were made in China. If this was meant to be a joke there are some pretty sick people around. There were a set of programs with Greg Wallace in various factories showing the production. ONE was the largest supplier of toilet rolls to the UK. Where were they? in England, not sure if it was the Midlands or the North Country. Perhaps people spent more time watching educational programs rather than as this am boucing around to music, rumours might not not be so prevalent.

Sorry I am a typical luddite. Old crochety and fed up with this constant stupidity. Also from Canada, a funny.?A man was asked if at home pick either a) or b) a is spend time with your wife and family or, the man answered b).without waiting. I suppose some would find that funny but it does indicate that the enforced time at home will lead to problems.
As to the problems caused with mental illness, something I have suffered with since retirement a long time ago and worry is not something that helps at all. I remember a therapist trying to eliminate worry from my life. If you can do something about it do it, if you can't forget it. Yeah well it don't work like that. As I said at least money for us is not a big problem that is no

more than normal, our worry is getting food etc. I should hate to be in some of the poor devils shoes. Lets hope a light at the end of the tunnel is just around the corner.

 

[colinJYD]

The silly thing about this 'self isolation' stuff, is that small shops that are open are putting signs on the door saying 'no more than 3 customers in the shop at any one time', so all the other customers gather outside the shop close together and talk to each other, LOL

PS..Freddy, there should be no problems getting food at supermarkets, as distribution network is working fine, and supermarkets are actually hiring more staff to cope, though there may be restrictions like '3 tins or 3 packs of anything only' in some supermarkets, to prevent hording, like toilet rolls, ect, he he.

 

[freddyford]

My Wife and I are disabled. She has two autoimmune illnesses. One prevents her leaving the house before about 9.30am. I wont be indelicate. Today I have two Emails telling me that us wrinkleys will be able to shop in peace before the hoards. Time between 8 and 9 am. I ppreciate this is a gesture to help but there are no doubt many old uns who have similar problems. Now, I use my computer for contact in the outside world. One of my problems is the telephone. Very difficult for normal people to understand. My phobia is not recognised by the NHS. I do not posses a mobile phone and my Wife can only use the phone when I am not around.
nThe EU is introducing a secondary authentication by mobile phone. There is not one in this household. I have spent much time in finding an Email address for PayPal. Their stupid AI does not understand anything but the simplest of questions and although I have finally managed to get an Email through, PayPals correspondence is in India. Without being rude, the centre has some difficulty in answering my question. We are on answer number 4. They cannot understand that some people cannot use phones. All they say is that authentication will be by mobile phone. So my last reply is a heavy one pointing out about English Law says that companies are expected to make reasonable steps to accommodate people with disabilities. Heavy I know but I am really getting fed up with people who have the minds fixed. I did not ask for this latest bit of tred tape from Brussels and unfortunately HM Government is adopting it. I appreciate they are trying to stop the fiddles but someone somewhere has got to wake up to the fate that some poeple have problems. If I am an amputee then fine but anything to do with the brain is almost impossible for people to deal with. I apologise for going on but I did not ask to bemade this way, all I ask is a bit of understanding. My Bank when I go in there used to ask for phone number, I used to show my hearingaids, now they know I have a computer and either write or ask me to contact them. Sorted so why cant PayPal come up with an alternative. I sincerely hope Ecosporters escape this virus.

 

[colinJYD]

I see what you getting at Freddy, a lot of older people do not have on-line savvy. I for instance do not do on-line banking as I do not trust it one bit. So either have to go to the bank or get a balance from the cash machine, which means going out. Also I have no idea how to do an on-line shop of food, and I do not really want to do that, so I still have to go to a supermarket for food.

My big concern is if people do not seriously self-isolate in the next week or two, then the PM has warned of draconian measures, which is likely clampdown, and that means almost a police state or/and military presence, like what has happened in some mainland European countries.

I just do not like that one bit, as mentioned in my first message. It is actually more scarier than the virus.

 

[colinJYD]

Freddy. I think we are the only two left alive on this forum, talking to each other >

 

[freddyford]

I am putting my head above the parapet and quite expect to be shot down: Colin your fears of a clampdown have materialised. Monday, unable to take advantage of the offer that 8to 9 for the wrinklies.to shop. My Wife cannot move quickly in the morning, However M&S foodhall was virtually deserted. M&S is used for their range of food without wheat. By the tills they had marked where people should wait to pay. My Wife was paying when a woman considerably younger that we, came up to the front mark just behind my Wife. The lady till operator said to the woman please move back to the line. For her sins She was treated to being totally ignored and a look as if to say don't talk to me you shop worker.
Opposite us is a young couple who I refer to as Dumb and Dumber. Sunday came back with a couple of bottles of milk and some toilet rolls. Yesterday, came back with some milk, today have just come back with more shopping. Do these youngsters not listen to the radio or take notice of whats on TV? Yesterday, pottering around in the garden, I am deaf, Dumb was ripping down a beautiful clematis to some racket on his radio. I know young people feel lonely if there is not a racket around them BUT this is a small village in Deep Devon. I want to hear the birds singing not some cacophony. So Colin we are probably the only ones on the Forum because people are out ignoring the risk of transmitting this very dangerous virus. I hasten to add our kitchen over looks the road junction outside, we don't spend all day looking out, probably spend far too much time watching TV.

I shall await the braodside.......... and the letter to say we are confined to barracks for TWELVE WEEKS.

 

[colinJYD]

Although we are on clampdown for the next 3 weeks (may be ongoing)..The PM says we are allowed to go out once a day if you want, and avoid people where we can. We are all going to the opposite side of the street when passing. Some people are jaywalking as quick as they can to get to the other side of the street, they nearly get knocked down by a car.

As for a walk, you can either go out the door walking or a short bit of cycling, or take the car to a park then walk, walk the dog, go shopping.

I think the scariest thing is the shopping, is that some people have went totally paranoid, we had one guy screaming his head off to stay 2 meters apart, and the store manager said to the guy to get out as he was scaring shoppers. The post office was also mad, as the woman behind the till, looked at me in disgust having to handle my 'dirty' money instead of a card transaction. I would not mind a million of dirty money >

Finally, I got insider information that a consignment of toilet roll and other goods, was making its way to farmfoods, so I got down there early and grabbed a 12 pack before they were sold out, we were down to our last toilet roll and nearly moving onto leaves

 

[colinJYD]

Well everyones lives are on hold at the moment, into week three of the lockdown, running my Ecosport for half an hour per week for the weekly shop run to keep the battery charged.

Going early to the supermarket now at 8AM, to avoid the 'conga run' queue a mile long, got caught out once, half an hour to just get into Azda, Crazy!

Meanwhile seeing some crazy paranoid stuff, customer guy screaming at the supermarket till, "get back get back, keep your spacing" and manager telling him to get out as your scaring the shoppers. Also woman behind the till at a shop looking at me in disgust, by handing her 'dirty' money instead of using bank card. ( I have saved up 50 one penny pieces to give her next time)..... >

Yep, its getting weirder as it goes on, just hope it will be over soon, but I think not.

PS..On a very sad note with all this dying, the thing that hit me and my wife the most, we were almost crying, was the two NHS nurses doing the jobs and dying from the virus. They both leave a family behind. It is such a pity this virus has hit us so soon, and not enough time to make decent protection clothing, for NHS frontline workers,and first responders, like having pressurised hazmat suits for them all.

Stay well and keep safe.

 

[freddyford]

I am so surprised at the blatent disregard of the rules. Yesterday, in my road alone. One two doors up, walking down the road to his mates ( he never walks)same route each time I happen to have noticed. ( 18 yr old). Four doors up out in his car with a mate another 18 yr old. I thought socialising was not allowed EXCEPT in the same family in the same household.In some supermarkets not even couples are allowed in only one! In the M&S Foodhall woman approx 30's huffing and puffing as she had to wait. As soon as we cleared the till right up behind my Wife. I don't understand what is going on as we waited until the till lady gave the OK before we unloaded the trolley. Never moved until the previous customer was well clear. My favourite couple opposite I notice the car has gone today second time this week.

Why is it the younger persons don't appear to understand the severity of this disease?
The NHS staff are busting a gut to look after people who get the disease and yet there are those that are **** bent on the 's*d you jack I'm alright' attitude of course who screams loudest when it gets them?

 

[colinJYD]

Hi Freddy, the youngsters think they are immune, we all thought that at that age, nothing could hurt possibly us.

They (the youngsters) only have to look at the news that it is not just the over 70's or those with weak immune systems that are dying, there are young people also dying from this, as young as a 13 year old boy, and nurses at 35, and bus drivers...RIP.

Even Boris the PM at a 'young' 55 years of age has been taken into hospital, its that serious.

Luckly where I live it is a very quiet town, so most of us who have to go out walking for food or exorcise or dog walking, tend to stay well apart, even cross the road, and funnily enough it being quite a snotty town where no-one looks or acknowledges each other normally, we now step out the way of each other and wave, as we are all in this together

 

[colinJYD]

Well 5 months into this Virus Pandemic, and the death figures are thankfully reducing in the UK, but we are not out of the woods yet, in case a second wave hits us, like some other countries are now going through. The USA is in a total shambles with it.

There is hope for an inoculation against the virus and test results look positive, and may be available by start of next year if found effective with no side effects. Many countries around the world are working on this.

So the latest is that this month, it is now going to be compulsory to wear mask in shops, banks, and supermarkets (in Scotland and England), so we will all look like a bunch of bank robbers or anonymous shoplifters LOL

 

[colinJYD]

Well into September now, and we managed just to avoid a second wave nationwide lockdown. I think the Government cannot really afford another estimated 2 trillion pound lockdown again, and need to keep the economy going (people working) >

They seem to be pumping big money into 'track and trace' apps, the biggest load of rubbish yet. A lot of people just give false names and addresses at restaurants or pubs, like Mr D Duck or Mr Bean with fake address. I personally don't like big brother snooping. Anyway by the time people are informed to self-isolate by smart phone, they have been spreading covid 19 for a week or two unknowingly.

Also this idea of a Government minister asking people to snoop on their neighbours and inform the police to obey the latest rules (that keep changing weekly) is just pure Nazism or Stazi by the back door, one of my very worries of big brotherism stated at the start of this thread. Disgraceful.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/...rs-break-social-gathering-rules-a4546696.html

On the positive side, there is more testing, and testing has speed up with quicker results, and there are now more ways to combat covid 19 in hospital as they are understanding it better, using drugs to reduce effects, and when to use oxygen, with ventilators used as last resort.

Its still going to be a long haul till our lives are back to normal.

 

[colinJYD]

Jan 2021 and its getting worse. Not the deaths from covid but the stringent lockdowns, and crap rules that keep changing daily.

Police state cometh......
Two women fined £200 each as they met up in a park for a chat and exorcise, by driving just over 5 miles to get to it. Police were coming out in droves from behind bushes to get them.

If they went after real criminals like that, I would be happy, but this is disgusting

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/13687713/two-women-surrounded-cops-fined-drive-park/

 

[colinJYD]

Latest: Boris PM now caught by his own rules, cycling 7 miles on a Sunday ride, away from his home >

Why should we bother with such rules, as the ones that are making them up, like Cummings, Boris, and that Scottish MP, plus the many more at the top, who decided the rules do not apply to them. But want to enforce us.

Also the TV news channels are blatantly putting out propaganda to get more police powers enforced on us, the public.

Last night they were going on about a lot of people not wearing masks in Supermarkets, that's a down right lie, as since it was introduced, I have only seen people wearing masks in supermarkets, complying with the rules, and only the occasional one not complying, (maybe for health reasons). But the majority do.

 

[colinJYD]

Update covid news and its bad.

Its getting bad now, with night curfews in some European countries, and the start of three nights of riots so far in 10 cities in Holland, as people protest. This is the first nights curfews in Holland since the Nazi SS brought that in during WW2.

Dutch riots....
Covid: Dutch curfew riots rage for third night

 

[colinJYD]

16th Feb.... Good news...Holland has won out via the courts that night curfew was illegal, and now scraped, so that should end the riots.

Court orders Holland to SCRAP 'illegal' 9pm coronavirus curfew

The 9pm curfew was the first to be imposed in the Netherlands since the Nazi occupation in World War II, sparking several consecutive nights of violence.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Also Boris PM is now talking about our way out of UK lockdown as the covid jab rollout is under way with millions now covered by the jab, and this he said should be the final lockdown we hope. There has been suicides, mental health problems, increase domestic violence, lack of school education, redundancies, job losses, which have to end.

And i need a haircut soon.

 

[colinJYD]

16th April....Well it seems a long time and three lockdowns under our belt, so thats Scotland, England and Wales, almost out of lockdown. Still got non-essential shops to open, We can now cross council boundaries without police chasing us, and jumping out of bushes in the park.

I just hope after millions taking the experimental jab, that this should finish lockdowns.
My biggest fear and that of millions of others (taking or not taking the jab) is the Government even thinking about internal covid passports, as this is an ID card, and totally opposed to the thinking of the British people. A covid passport to fly abroad makes sense, but not to go to the pub, or get into a non-essential shop, or whatever.

This would be the slippery slope to a surveillance and police state (as China is), it must be opposed at all cost, if it is passed through Parliament, there is a vote on this shortly. This would just anger the British people as ID cards were never wanted in this country. Even Boris a few years ago was on the record saying he would eat an ID card if given one. Yet he now seems to be thinking of them, How times have changed.

How Boris Johnson went from threatening to eat ID card to opening door to pub Covid passports

Telegraph talks to Number 10 figures, government advisers, ministers and friends to understand the PM's change in thinking

www.telegraph.co.uk