Covid-19

[Disco]

We're down from 1500+ per 100k to 632 now so that's good.

[Roma]

We are 925 cases per 100,000 and down -545 cases in the last week.

[Heebie Jeebie]

Our numbers don't seem to be dropping like all yours but so far touch wood nor are they sky rocketing the way the Zoe app predicted (yesterday they had more than doubled in a week).

[Smunder Woman]

It's fascinating how close I am to you, Heebs, and our numbers ok the Zoë app have halved over a week.

[Hazey_Jane]

This Grauniad article covers the discussions here about what type of masks we should be wearing
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/ ... -transport

Interesting that this is published on the day with the lowest numbers of new daily cases in 3 months

[happyhighlandcoo]

Great that your cases are so much lower, Hazey. That's really interesting about the masks. I'm sure there are advantages but I wonder how people will afford them (very pricey and I'm guessing many people who use public transport may have a lower income) and access them.

Do you get many chin mask wearers there? I can't see much progress here until they tackle that. No point having the best type of mask if you're going to have a nose willy popping out.

Bad news at school for us with a positive case in a keyworker child so one of our bubbles has burst and keyworker children are staying at home for 10 days. I'm really concerned about staff who were in contact with the child now possibly spreading it though. The new guidance for schools removes the need for contacts (staff, siblings, peers) to isolate, as long as they have a daily negative test. The staff are now all working in different bubbles. Our children are too young for daily tests so have to isolate. Those tests are known to be inaccurate and removing the need to isolate just seems so risky.

[Ella77]

Those recommended masks won’t fit most women anyway.

[Hazey_Jane]

Yes, as the article says to be truly effective they have to be fitted to you. I bought a pack online last week before prices climb due to demand. Seems my manly features might have an advantage at this time!

Not so much HHC, the ones I’ve noticed are young men. masks have been compulsory in shops and public transport since end of April, when the restaurants reopened for some months last year they had to be worn when not sat at a table and they have to be worn in public areas of anything else that remains open such as municipal buildings

[ParisGal]

So many masks are crappy. Every time there's a news article where they're interviewing normal people, at least 50% of masks being worn are slipping down, have to be constantly adjusted, are massively gappy. I'm sure it's still much better than nothing, but it won't be giving the protection we expect mask wearing to do.

[absley]

I think the specific mask proposal is hugely problematic and discriminatory. Those masks are retailing for 8€ each here already.

I find the numbers interesting - for a long time the German government has said <50 cases for 100k is the target, which I forget when I look at my local numbers (c100 atm), compare them to other countries and then wonder why all our tight restrictions remain in place/ are being extended. So easy to forget all the different contexts.

[Hazey_Jane]

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[bramblerose]

My daughter in law has tested positive. She's not feeling too bad at the moment but I am concerned about my son as he is borderline asthmatic and even with a cold has terrible chestiness.

Is anyone on here still making masks? I am wearing a blue disposable with a cloth one over the top which I feel is keeping my outer mask drier but my glasses steam up All The Time. I feel like I need something better.

[Hazey_Jane]

Tried sticking them down with a plaster Brambs?

[Loralei]

The family we formed a childcare bubble with have all tested positive. None of them have any symptoms; they only know because they are part of the ONS study. We haven't actually spent any time with them in the last two weeks but Berty is in the same KW group as her friend so I expect they will all now have to isolate.

My friend is panicking as she's a social worker for the elderly, although she's managed to do all recent visits from outside (she was just telling me yesterday how miserable this is). She also brought her parents over from Poland at the weekend, thinking that they'd be lower risk staying with her and not having to go out Her father had heart surgery which led to an "unsurviveable" stroke in the summer; he's made a full recovery but I'm not surprised she's anxious about passing it on to him or her mum!

[bramblerose]

Tried sticking them down with a plaster Brambs?

I'm not wearing a plaster on my nose outside

[Heebie Jeebie]

Lockdown and home schooling extended till mid February. I discovered Beebie's school has a week's half term at the start of February anyway so am determinedly viewing it as one extra week.

[Glint]

I didn't even click about half term until Davidson mentioned it.

[Smunder Woman]

[Little My]

Bramble, the glasses-steaming-up thing is driving me nuts too.

Such bad timing for your friend, Lora!

[H1ppychick]

I can't even resolve the fogging by wearing contact lenses as mine are a multifocal prescription which means they are ideal for neither long distance (e.g. driving) nor close vision (e.g. reading labels) but are an unsatisfactory compromise between the two. On a side note, I always used to put contacts in before putting eye make up on (as otherwise I'd bugger up the make up when inserting them) but I tried that before Christmas when I was filming an isolation video for my harmony group and I could hardly see to put eyeliner on.

I do quite like that glasses give me another barrier for any lurking droplets though.