National cycle tracks How safe are they now

[Brandane]

Er.... I thought it was public knowledge that the disease is still active in care homes?

Well, yes, we get it drummed into us every working day. The disease is still active EVERYWHERE though. Fortunately our place is currently free of the virus, but the consensus of opinion is that it's just a matter of time. But that's not relevant to my original question. You said "you don't catch it in one brief unfortunate encounter but from repeated exposures". That's never been mentioned before that I know of. We've been told that it's caught through transmission by human contact, or by inhaling/ingesting the bug from contaminated objects/surfaces. A care home environment obviously increases the chance of infection due to residents being in the most vulnerable age group, and all living together in a shared environment. Therefore the chances of one brief encounter are quite high. What I'm asking is where did you read or hear that that is not the case, and that it is caught through "repeated exposures"?

 

[Milkfloat]

Back to the OP. In my opinion the off road national cycle routes are just as crap as they were before Covid and generally not fit for purpose.

 

[Globalti]

Well, yes, we get it drummed into us every working day. The disease is still active EVERYWHERE though. Fortunately our place is currently free of the virus, but the consensus of opinion is that it's just a matter of time. But that's not relevant to my original question. You said "you don't catch it in one brief unfortunate encounter but from repeated exposures". That's never been mentioned before that I know of. We've been told that it's caught through transmission by human contact, or by inhaling/ingesting the bug from contaminated objects/surfaces. A care home environment obviously increases the chance of infection due to residents being in the most vulnerable age group, and all living together in a shared environment. Therefore the chances of one brief encounter are quite high. What I'm asking is where did you read or hear that that is not the case, and that it is caught through "repeated exposures"?

It's just amother piece of internet folklore that I read somewhere but it makes sense to me. But there again it's also said that a big football match in Belgium in January or February was a major factor in spreading it in the Low Countries. So what do I know?

 

[Globalti]

Not when I was told about it, and the fact that the person who told me has a family member who works as a carer, the whole family all came down with a lurgy that took some shifting, this was just after xmas, before our government admitted it was here, it seems it was here

I have two colleagues who had dry hacking coughs in the couple of weeks before Christmas and one said she woke up several times having trouble breathing. For all we know they had an early strain of the virus.

 

[vickster]

I have two colleagues who had dry hacking coughs in the couple of weeks before Christmas and one said she woke up several times having trouble breathing. For all we know they had an early strain of the virus.

...Or a completely different winter virus

 

[Mike_P]

I'm staying off them - most locally are heavily used by pedestrians / dog- walkers while some are very narrow meaning at busy times being forced to walking pace and the roads so far have been reasonably quite. Seemed to some pick up in traffic today but still far less than its use to be.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

The virus has been in the country all of this year, and millions and millions of the population have already had it, but either didn't feel ill or if they did, they put it down to the normal flu/winter viruses that do the rounds. The number of reported cases is the tip of the iceberg, because it's mostly only people that have been hospitalised and came to the attention of the medical authorities that were tested for it. For every recorded case there could have been fifty unrecorded infections since the virus appeared, which means less people will now be capable of carrying and spreading it, because they are now immune.

 

[sotkayak]

Hi to all fellow cyclists.As a road bike cyclist,I tend to ride the paths of the national cycle route.Mainly the path that takes me from clydebank to luss,next to Loch Lomond.I jst dont feel safe to risk riding on roads if I cant help it.Because of this virus, my question is,how safe is it to ride on the cycle paths, as these are not very wide and I will be passing other riders at a close distance.Also the riders passing me from the other direction.Am I being paranoid or is this a concern.Thanks

Normally ride off road cycle paths ,bridleways and shared pedestrian ways due to risk of cars and trucks . But these days often take the road route ,not so much to avoid the pedestrians or generally slow moving cyclists , but the ranks of heavy breathing ,panting runners who seem to have surfaced like a swarm of mayflies...I have visions of riding into midge like clouds of Corvid 19 hanging in still air when they pass me in opposite direction...Maybe totally irrational,but.... So I can sympathise with the OP.....

 

[Globalti]

The virus has been in the country all of this year, and millions and millions of the population have already had it, but either didn't feel ill or if they did, they put it down to the normal flu/winter viruses that do the rounds. The number of reported cases is the tip of the iceberg, because it's mostly only people that have been hospitalised and came to the attention of the medical authorities that were tested for it. For every recorded case there could have been fifty unrecorded infections since the virus appeared, which means less people will now be capable of carrying and spreading it, because they are now immune.

I absolutely agree with this; I think it's been around far longer than we think and has only affected a small number of people who were already unwell plus a few others who weren't, for reasons we have yet to figure out.

Normally ride off road cycle paths ,bridleways and shared pedestrian ways due to risk of cars and trucks . But these days often take the road route ,not so much to avoid the pedestrians or generally slow moving cyclists , but the ranks of heavy breathing ,panting runners who seem to have surfaced like a swarm of mayflies...I have visions of riding into midge like clouds of Corvid 19 hanging in still air when they pass me in opposite direction...Maybe totally irrational,but.... So I can sympathise with the OP.....

Totally irrational in my opinion!

 

[OldShep]

Well, yes, we get it drummed into us every working day. The disease is still active EVERYWHERE though. Fortunately our place is currently free of the virus, but the consensus of opinion is that it's just a matter of time. But that's not relevant to my original question. You said "you don't catch it in one brief unfortunate encounter but from repeated exposures". That's never been mentioned before that I know of. We've been told that it's caught through transmission by human contact, or by inhaling/ingesting the bug from contaminated objects/surfaces. A care home environment obviously increases the chance of infection due to residents being in the most vulnerable age group, and all living together in a shared environment. Therefore the chances of one brief encounter are quite high. What I'm asking is where did you read or hear that that is not the case, and that it is caught through "repeated exposures"?

Try this https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them
It explains the airborne risks very well Using the office example he uses then by touch can be quite small.

 

[Drago]

It's all a bit vague, but statistics suggest you're less likely to die on the road than you are on dedicated cycling infrastructure. As for the virus, transmission outdoors is supposed to be much, much less likely than inside. Your choice is be sensible, or stay indoors forever - there's no other viable option, and only you can choose.

That said, I've heard that there was a recent sighting of Saddam Hussein and Dr Crippen on the cycle routes up your way.

 

[Moderators]

Mod Note:
a few of the posts on this thread have no links to scientific studies or to reputable sources.
The op can make up his own mind, of course, but hearsay statements should not be taken as evidence.
Please refer to the pinned Covid19 posting guidelines.
Thank you.

 

[NorthernDave]

I'm staying off them - most locally are heavily used by pedestrians / dog- walkers while some are very narrow meaning at busy times being forced to walking pace and the roads so far have been reasonably quite. Seemed to some pick up in traffic today but still far less than its use to be.

^^ This.
Now the rules have been relaxed, I'm going to try get out on the bike this weekend, but experience tells me that the bridleways and NCN routes locally will be busy with dog walkers and family groups regardless of the time of day, so no chance of maintaining the necessary distance and it will make for slow going.
Family groups in particular seem to have to walk in a line across whatever the full width of the route is at all times.

 

[sotkayak]

''Totally irrational in my opinion! '' I think you correct there , @Globalti after reading this article.. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020...ak8eyjXqHbYks5JFwBO6sG4fHZs4uPbfuSmWP4gNLI28U

 

[Drago]

Indeed, although their speciality is biology and not epidemiology, if they are to be believed it would seem that outdoor transmission is much more difficult. It's a shame the Richmond Park authorities don't seem to have read it.

In response to the - quite right and proper - message from the mods, we need to appreciate that our understanding of this disease and its behaviour is woeful and changing daily. "Official" guidance that has been issued has been found to be wrong and changed less than 48 hours later, so it's probably best not to get too hung up on that - I know police officers on duty who have received 3 x contradictory updates from Public Health England over the course the the shift on duty, and it is clear that all three could not be correct so my own thoughts are not to rely solely on government guidance as an avoidance tactic. The final decisions as regards the official guidelines is being made by politicians, not scientists, so may not represent is medically best for the individual. This is because politicians have to consider social, economic, administrative, financial and strategic factors whereas the scientists do not.

The only solid tactics that have consistently survived the ever changing scientific and political advice is being mindful of cleanliness and proximity, and with that in mind the OP's question is sensible enough. That said, scientific advice generally seems to be outdoor transmission is a very low risk likelihood [source: Prof J. Hellewell, The Lancet, February 28th 2020] when considering avoidance and tactics to reduce the transmission rates of the disease.