Coronavirus outbreak

[tom73]

From the linked gov.uk announcement:

People on six figure salaries are being paid by us to come up with this guff. Meanwhile, contract tracers working for Serco are averaging 2.4 phone calls per day.

Worth every penny, Baroness Harding.

Yep no wonder local public health are going alone is it ? One possible reason they only have so little work. Is for example if you have a group of say 6 people they get assigned to 6 tracers not one. So my the time the same questions get asked to each of them by 6 different people. They just get fed up and end up not engaging with the process. So not only are they wasting money by trying to justify employing more than then they need. But in turn are undermining the whole process at the same time.

Once school ect reopen it will see them contacting even less people as they are seen as complex trace and get handed over to the clinical contact tracers. Who do this stuff all the time, know what they are doing and know how to engage people in the process.

 

[johnblack]

No deaths from Covid in Scotland for 3 weeks now.
But cases rising quite significantly so I doubt we'll make it to 4 weeks without a death.

If Scotland used the same methodology as England for counting Covid deaths, then on the latest stats available (26th July) there would've been 8 deaths. Which method is correct is a different question.

Quite an interesting article here https://www.these-islands.co.uk/pub...nd_vs_england_comparisons_are_misleading.aspx

Not sure if there are politics behind it, I tend to assume there always is, but the bare stats are probably more important than the Scottish Goverments narrative.

 

[PeteXXX]

My wife struggles to breathe wearing a mask whilst shopping etc.
Do these visors comply with the present regulations?

 

[glasgowcyclist]

My wife struggles to breathe wearing a mask whilst shopping etc.
Do these visors comply with the present regulations?

View attachment 540246

I don't see why not. They're a common sight on supermarket staff and there is no definition of a face covering anyway.

 

[matticus]

Seeing mouths makes communication a lot easier.

( and I'm not even a lip-reader!)

 

[raleighnut]

Seeing mouths makes communication a lot easier.

( and I'm not even a lip-reader!)

They don't stop droplet contamination when you breathe, much like the numpties who wear masks not covering their noses too, the face coverings aren't about protecting you they're for not contaminating others and the confines of the establishment with your potential germs.

 

[midlife]

My wife struggles to breathe wearing a mask whilst shopping etc.
Do these visors comply with the present regulations?

View attachment 540246

For respiratory problems there is usually a support group that can offer advice. British Lung Foundation for example.

 

[matticus]

They don't stop droplet contamination when you breathe, much like the numpties who wear masks not covering their noses too, the face coverings aren't about protecting you they're for not contaminating others and the confines of the establishment with your potential germs.

Visors seem to be the recommended "PPE" for staff in a range of industries in contact with the public - from supermarkets to pubs and hair-dressers.
So what's going on? IAMFI!

 

[midlife]

I wear a visor at work along with a surgical mask. The visor is to protect me from large droplets and spatter (not aerosol, then I wear PP3 and a visor) . I take it off wearing a fresh pair of gloves and wipe it down with something virucidal then set down to dry.

As mentioned the visor is to protect me in this case.

 

[mjr]

They don't stop droplet contamination when you breathe, much like the numpties who wear masks not covering their noses too, the face coverings aren't about protecting you they're for not contaminating others and the confines of the establishment with your potential germs.

The cloth ones don't stop it either. It shortens the range of the droplets. A visor will too, in the forwards direction, but less effectively sideways.

 

[johnblack]

Although not always enjoyed here, let's have some good news. From the Guardian.

"An average of 28,300 people in private households in England had Covid-19 between 27 July and 2 August, according to new estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This was the equivalent of about 0.05% of the population, or one in 1,900 individuals.
The figures do not include people staying in hospitals, care homes or other institutional settings.
An average of 3,700 people per day in private households in England were estimated to be newly infected with Covid-19 between 27 July and 2 August, according to the ONS – down slightly from 4,200 per day in the period 20-26 July.
The ONS said that while recent figures had suggested the percentage of individuals testing positive for Covid-19 had risen since the end of June, there was now evidence to suggest this trend may have levelled off."

 

[tom73]

My wife struggles to breathe wearing a mask whilst shopping etc.
Do these visors comply with the present regulations?

View attachment 540246

Yes the only thing the rule says is to comply the face cover has to self supporting ie holds itself in place.
She may find some other type of face cover is better for her some mostly are too thick it's find one that's not too thin or thick.
Like @midlife say's see what advice you can find. Above all good for her for trying and find a way many won't even try.

 

[tom73]

Visors seem to be the recommended "PPE" for staff in a range of industries in contact with the public - from supermarkets to pubs and hair-dressers.
So what's going on? IAMFI!

It's the ago old problem with guidelines they just leave too much open to business to interpret. In the case of shields the guidelines so face coverings. Most placers have simply interpreted it as "let's issue face shields". Even though at no point do they even say face shields.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Afternoon,

As far as I am aware nobody knows for England as there is no official statement.

In Scotland https://www.gov.scot/publications/c...e-and-protecting-others/pages/face-coverings/
You may also use, if you prefer, a face visor but it must cover your nose and mouth completely.

Obviously Scotland and England are different legal systems, so all you can possibly infer is that it would be reasonable to argue that a Face Mask or Face Shield is not a face covering in England.

Whilst they are common in places such as supermarkets in England, employees at work are not required to wear a face covering in such places so whether they comply or not doesn't matter.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/791/regulation/2/made
The actual wording for England is “face covering” means a covering of any type which covers a person’s nose and mouth; Wow wasn't that helpful. :=)

Although this is guidance not legislation https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...ngs-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own
Face coverings are instead largely intended to protect others, not the wearer, against the spread of infection because they cover the nose and mouth

5. How to wear a face covering ..... A face covering should: ..... fit comfortably but securely against the side of the face

Which would suggest No (my bold emphasis) to face visors or shields despite Scotland saying yes.

I know the Corona virus threads have view varying from everyone not wearing a mask is evil to they do almost nothing so what's the point? views.

It looks to me like you will be left to decide for yourself where you want to sit on this scale

In other words I am of no help at all.

 

[matticus]

The cloth ones don't stop it either. It shortens the range of the droplets. A visor will too, in the forwards direction, but less effectively sideways.

Yes - none of these things guarantee no virions travelling between people. And given that coughs/sneazles do the most spreading, I would think visors are very effective i.e. block most transmission, especially if you are 1.5metres or more apart.