Will Boris Do A U-Turn On Christmas?

[diddlydo]

For once he would be right to stop the Christmas free-for-all. He might then come across to more people as a leader.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/14/no-10-urged-to-rethink-christmas-covid-rules-to-head-off-rise-in-cases

[emmie]

rarely does it get mentioned the death toll from the flu or pneumonia, especially at this time of the year. I looked at some figures but they werent clear, , NJ came up with others which showed a far higher rate than i could find. I only mention because most are elderly like now and those with underlying health conditions.

[Untitled]

COVID is more dangerous than flu emmie.

[emmie]

i know that, i am merely stating there is rarely an outcry over flu deaths

[Untitled]

Maybe I'm being thick but I don't understand how that is relevant.

[jim360]

Clearest figures I can find on respiratory illnesses v. flu are in the ONS weekly deaths data release. Since the start of November, an average of about 950 deaths weekly in England/Wales were attributed to respiratory diseases including flu and pneumonia; in the same period, 2,600 deaths weekly mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate.

I should make clear that this is not quite a like-for-like comparison, among other things because both Covid and another respiratory illness could appear on the same death certificate, and so some people are likely to have counted to both totals above. But it's not difficult to see reflected in the data that, if Covid is allowed to spread (ie, if we see more positive Covid cases), then it leads to a rapid increase in the death rate shortly afterwards consistent with the idea that Covid-19 is fatal in a larger percentage of cases than is flu.

[emmie]

that perhaps we have had to learn to live with the flu, that we might have to learn the same with Covid 19. Until we can vaccinate everyone, which in itself a mammoth task then i don;t see what else can be done. We have a population of 65 million odd, many are going to behave in whatever way they see fit, no matter how many times they are informed of what tier to be in. Or what Boris or Nicola say. Much of the country has been in lockdown in one way or another and still it spreads.

[Untitled]

But its obviously possible to escape serious levels of covid deaths - other countries managed it there is no reason we couldnt although the chance will slip away if we allow the reinfection rate to get too high.

[jim360]

It spreads when the lockdown is eased (obviously), and also under the Tier system, which is wholly inadequate to stop the spread of the disease (and yet ends up being not much better in terms of economic costs).

If the vaccination programme fails to provide the necessary protection, then, yes, maybe it's time to accept that we have to "live with it". As it is, better by far to endure a few more months of hardship in the hope of controlling the spread whilst the majority of the country is vaccinated.

[Sqad]

///////Will Boris Do A U-Turn On Christmas?//////

Yes, my monthly pensions on it.

[diddlydo]

This thread has gone way off track. I repeat my main point which is that allowing 3 households with an unlimited number of people to get together for 5 days and hug and kiss is irresponsible and just plain STUPID (yes, I'm shouting deliberately). Boris needs to man-up.

[emmie]

if he does a U Turn my feeling is that some will simply ignore it.

[maggiebee]

Can't be arrised reading through every post but did read a mention of Scotland. We are all in different tiers. Where I live we are in tier 3, my daughter in Aberdeen is in tier 2 and friends in the borders are in tier 1. We can't (or shouldn't) mix at Christmas - travelling from one tier to another. Will everyone follow the rules? Doubt it very much.

[emmie]

Maggie i too doubt it very much

[jim360]

The better path would have been to extend the lockdown measures of November for another couple of weeks. That would have made it easier to allow a Christmas easing and justify it from the data. As it is, it's pretty clear that lockdown 2.0 ended way too early.

[emmie]

Sqad you may be right,

[emmie]

the same for the capital, 8 million or more of us in Tier 3 now, how many are actively going to play by these rules.

[emmie]

going on the latest scientist figures this rollout vaccine is going to take at least a year.

[emmie]

https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question1732284-3.html#answer-12694783

[dannyk13]

Sqad//Yes, my monthly pensions on it.//
Which charity are you going to send your cheque to?

[Sqad]

No worries Danny.........it's a cert.