Re wafter post and exchange with hoopdriver above.
Prof whitty quoted on bbc
Posted at 20:10 18 Mar20:10 18 Mar
Whitty: Exercise is very important during the outbreak
Prof Whitty, the UK's chief medical adviser, adds it is "very important" that children and adults take exercise, and being outside in the park is a "very good thing to do".
Speaking to the BBC's special coronavirus programme, he said: "The thing we are trying to avoid is people meeting up unnecessarily or having unnecessary social contact."
He says going to the park is encouraged, but crowding together with large groups of friends for long periods of time is advised against.
Indeed; I'm not attempting to construct an argument against cycling and am the first to advocate for getting out on the bike to improve one's mental and physical wellbeing.. what I am trying to achieve is the best balance between continuing to function as "normally" as possible while protecting myself and others from transmission.
As such, while we all evidently view things differently I'd personally consider idle chat with anyone I didn't have to interact with for some other reason an un-necessary risk. I will be remaining inside and isolating myself from others except for necessary trips to the shops or solo rides and walks in the open countryside
It's not just low it's extremely low and equivalent to injuring yourself and requiring hospital treatment if you go for a walk or run. Also you'll know your own risk profile. How often have you come off the bike and how often you have required hospital treatment? There's also ways of mitigating the risks. Don't go so bloody fast downhill, be extra cautious, choose quiet roads and cycle ways etc.
We must also question whether exercise is considered non essential. I think it is essential more than ever where a good healthy immune system and ability to fight off infection is needed.
You don't see any call to ban people driving around despite the fact they injure themselves more and need hosiptial treatment than they injure cyclists and pedestrians.
Let's get risks in proportion rather than just have an emotional response to something.
As above I've not advocating one way or the other; merely pointing out that the (minimal) risk of injury carries with it a corresponding risk of stretching an already stressed healthcare system so the argument is valid in principal, even if the risk is extremely low.
Thankfully I've never required tertairy medical attention for a cycling issue and I'd be of a mind to continue to cycle despite being advised against doing so on the above grounds because I consider that an acceptable risk/reward ratio.. while others might disagree.
I agree about cars; although of course in our society all the important people use cars for their important tasks, while the idiosyncratic cyclists just get in the way with our pointless and self-indulgent journeys
We all know how our society generally views cycling so it's no surprise to see further devaluation of its worth in this latest governement advice; although actually I'd expect the cycling ban to come under a general blanket travel ban that would also include cars.. but I may be wrong.
Assumption is the mother of all fark ups, like the film says.
"Airborne spread has not been reported for COVID-19 and it is not believed to be a major driver of transmission" - source:
WHO
Advice on Belgian TV (RTBF) yesterday was to cycle with your family (I think they mean household, really) or at most one friend and to keep your distance from the friend or anyone else: 1.5m lateral or 5m ahead/behind. This is an attempt to keep out of range of direct cough range. That is probably easier on Belgium's one-way roadside cycleways, wide two-way ones or filtered roads (similar to the Netherlands but with more painted lanes and fewer kerbed), than on the UK's substandardly narrow cycle tracks, especially a Cycleway Resembling A Pavement.
Curiously, picnics are now banned in Belgium, but the reason wasn't explained. I wonder if it's the risk of food falling back out of an infected mouth onto something others may touch.
Totally agree with the quote in principal, however in this instance I'd rather my incorrect assumption led to a reduction in the risk of transmission through being over-cautious than the opposite.
As above I'm not arguing against riding; just raising some concerns about some things that made me uneasy; rationally or otherwise. Interestingly the distances quoted above are not a million miles away from where I was finding myself comfortable yesterday. Apparently when Triathletes group-train they have to be separated by 5m to avoid and drafting benefits; which seems to corroborate the figures above.
Really want to go out for a ride now, but unfortunately circumstances (other than those discussed here) dictate that it'll be a few days until I next get the opportunity
