Covid - 19 the non-political thread

[silent majority]

If you wish to discuss the Corona virus, either developments or any interesting discussion points, please do so here.

[silent majority]

Apart from football, what one thing are you missing the most?

Of course there are other sports which I miss just as much and normally defines my week, i.e. Sunday afternoon watching formula 1, but the thing I miss the most is not seeing the grandkids.

[Bentley Bullet]

Strangely, I don't really miss going to the pub as much as I thought I would, and even more surprising I don't desperately miss the football. I suppose they had become more of a habit than a passion.

I do desperately miss the grandkids and family though.

[BillyStubbsTears]

I miss extended family. And I feel for the kids not seeing their friends.

I'm with BB about the football. I've been surprised how little I've missed it.

I'm lucky that I get a lot of inspiration from work and I get to travel a lot and have stimulating meetings. I should have been in Alabama next week at a training course for a brilliant new piece of software and I miss both the travel to new places and learning new stuff.

I miss the banter and chewing the fat with mates and especially our kid - video chats just aren't the same.

On the plus side, I'm fitter than I've been for years. I'm on the edge of the danger age and I took this epidemic as a kick up the arse to lose a stone and get serious about fitness training.

[Ldr]

My son, I've not seen him since March and phone calls are no substitute

[silent majority]

I should have been in Belgrade last week participating in a workshop, I was looking forward to to that.

But my son is expecting their first child in 5 days time, that's going to be tough when we won't be able to be there, plus I have no idea when we'll get sight of the newborn.

Tough times.

[IDM]

Family, goes without saying..

I should have had a business trip to Paris last month and Berlin this month, but they’ve both gone for a burton.

Less important of course, but I am missing the football a bit.

[Nudga]

I miss coaching my kids football team. I've grown close to them all over the years and getting out the grass on weekends is my stress buster. I can empty my head of grown up stuff for a few hours. I miss their parents too, I've realised that I've actually made a lot of really good friendships with them.

This has given me time to reflect on my business, and where I've gone wrong over the last couple of years.
Marketing!
So I'm in the process of creating a new business seperate to woodburning stove installations with a great brand and hopefully a really good social media presence.
I don't want to ever be in the position again where I have to stack shelves a few nights a week whilst trying to keep the business afloat.
It's tough working nights and then having to go back out in the day to graft again.

Most of all, I miss my mum. We have a chat on Zoom while she teaches my daughter to sew.
I can tell its hurting her not being around my kids so I really feel for you guys who have no physical contact with your children/grand children.


Oh, and whatever is discussed on other threads, whatever your views and opinions on anything, and whether you vehemently disagree on topics, don't hold a grudge.
Life is too short.

[Filo]

We miss our daughter who has two jobs, one at the Hospital and one doing home caring, she refuses to come anywhere near our house for our safety, we have video chats, but it’s not the same, we worry for her everyday working in two environment areas where the virus can spread, although as she points out the caring is probably safe as all her service users are isolating due to their age and conditions, the care support at this moment is the only contact with the outside world these people are getting

[Not Now Kato]

Miss family mainly. Especially as they're many miles away, (Edinburgh & Bolton - yes, I know!), so visits were always very special. Skype helps, but it's no substitute for the real thing.
 
Other than that I miss walking and fishing. However, to pass the time I can plan my future walks, (easy ones to start with following my knee replacement), using Anquet mapping software; and sort out my tackle for my next fishing adventure, (the last one ended up with me in the river Nidd being held afloat by my inflatable life jacket, with my chest waders full of water - the event that finally forced me into having my knee replaced - not the best of places for it to have given in on me!).  In the meantime I'm using Tai Chi to help strengthen my leg ready for when my self isolation ends.

[River Don]

I miss coaching my kids football team. I've grown close to them all over the years and getting out the grass on weekends is my stress buster. I can empty my head of grown up stuff for a few hours. I miss their parents too, I've realised that I've actually made a lot of really good friendships with them.

This has given me time to reflect on my business, and where I've gone wrong over the last couple of years.
Marketing!
So I'm in the process of creating a new business seperate to woodburning stove installations with a great brand and hopefully a really good social media presence.
I don't want to ever be in the position again where I have to stack shelves a few nights a week whilst trying to keep the business afloat.
It's tough working nights and then having to go back out in the day to graft again.

Most of all, I miss my mum. We have a chat on Zoom while she teaches my daughter to sew.
I can tell its hurting her not being around my kids so I really feel for you guys who have no physical contact with your children/grand children.


Oh, and whatever is discussed on other threads, whatever your views and opinions on anything, and whether you vehemently disagree on topics, don't hold a grudge.
Life is too short.

Don't make your brand name specific. For example if you're selling curtains, don't name the brand Nudgas Curtains. The simple reason is, what if the business moves away from curtains and starts doing raincoats? Then you have to start again building a new brand.

A good example of a businesses that has developed a strong brand only to see the product change is Carphone Warehouse.

The important thing is, the name should be distinctive and memorable.

[River Don]

On the plus side, I'm fitter than I've been for years. I'm on the edge of the danger age and I took this epidemic as a kick up the arse to lose a stone and get serious about fitness training.

I'm the same, I had got too comfortable, lazy and out of shape. I've gone from being a 36 waist, with a beer gut hanging over my jeans, to a relatively trim 34. The moobs and steadily being replaced with firm pecs. I'm working out in the mornings and cycling daily. I've no idea how much I've lost but it must be more than a stone.

I'm surprised to read many have gone the other way in lockdown and are comfort eating and drinking more. For me it has been the opposite and given me the space and motivation to get in shape.

[redarmy82]

Definitely family, and the realisation I may never seen my mum again.

[Hounslowrover]

Definitely family and travelling. I worry I may never see my aunty Chrissie again as she's over ninety and uo in Scotland.

[SydneyRover]

As above friends, family & travel, I keep busy doing work on the house, a never ending story. I also try to keep up community work and helped assemble some more pollution monitors for the Luftdaten Citizen Science AQ project on the weekend although the installation side has come to a bit of a halt. We have free to air SBS TV with good Euro and Scandi series which we watch.

As a side issue friends of ours arrived on Oz from the UK the night before full quarantine came in but had to isolate for 2 weeks in Airbnb. They came for the arrival of their first grandchild but cannot stay with their daughter and son in law. After 4 weeks they are returning but he has had to be tested as he had a fever on the weekend but got clearance for the flight 4 hours before the flight home tonight.

[auckleyflyer]

Family as were in Cornwall and its the longest time I've not seen anyone. (parents and two sons 18 n 20)
Football not a chance.
Recon clubs will not realise its a habit and weve all just gone cold turkey!
Will loose some forever

[silent majority]

So, when this app is up and running will you be downloading it, or is anyone thinking its a step too far?

[BillyStubbsTears]

As I've said elsewhere. We HAVE to have something like this to get us out of the crisis.

But this just shows you can't divorce this from politics. Many people will choose not to use it because they don't trust the Govt when it says it won't compromise their personal data.

[Filo]

I just wonder why they need to release an app that harvests data from your phone, back door snooping. I agree with it in principle, but not if they are gathering data in the background

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

What kind of data would we not want to share with the NHS?

[River Don]

What kind of data would we not want to share with the NHS?

For NHS read government/Dominic Cummings and friends.

[idler]

What if NHS data ends up in the US?
US big business taking a slice of the NHS and all records.
Is it on the table?

[Filo]

Rumour has it Cambridge Anylitica are behind the app

[BillyStubbsTears]

What kind of data would we not want to share with the NHS?

I'm wondering if I'm missing some unspoken irony here.

Really?

[Copps is Magic]

Two useful links on how the app actually works, and why it ultimately may never work.

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/05/05/uk_coronavirus_app/

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/nhs-covid-19-tracking-app-contact-tracing

It works using bluetooth. Rarely, do people have bluetooth turned on and transmitting. Most modern phones do not permit bluetooth to be running silently in the background.

It has the first half of your postcode and phone ID.

All other data you give is voluntary. You say if you are feeling unwell - you then go through a series of follow up medical question. A 'risk algorithm' then works out who to warn if you show symptoms of the disease based on who you have been in contact with digitally (very difficult to get this correct using bluetooth apparently, which is not that accurate).

The wider 'manual' element of 'test, track and trace' which is rumoured to be the new government mantra is going to be handled by Serco.

Part of the wider creeping privatisation of healthcare functions

Personally, I won't be using any apps.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

What kind of data would we not want to share with the NHS?

I'm wondering if I'm missing some unspoken irony here.

Really?

Perhaps I'm just less bothered than most, i've never been that bothered by it.  I fail to see what would be gained from my data that I wouldnt give up anyway.

Note that doesnt include obvious things like bank information.

[IDM]

Here’s a thought, and it don’t know if it is possible.

If there is a harmless re-agent which reacts to the coronavirus, and only to the coronavirus, then could it be practical to make an indicator paper.?

The idea is to have a paper or fabric strip embedded with said reagent - which can then be attached to outer clothing - which changes colour if droplets containing the virus land on it.  Wearers would get an indication that they had been exposed to the virus, if not actually infected, and then could go for a test.?

Wouldn’t cover all eventualities of course, but it doesn’t collect your data.!

[Filo]

As much as I agree in principle with an app, this one will not be for me, there is no trust there at all

[silent majority]

As much as I agree in principle with an app, this one will not be for me, there is no trust there at all

Its not collecting any data, so how can your trust be misused?

[Copps is Magic]

It does collect data. The first half of your postcode, your phone ID, and any extra data you voluntarily submit. It stores it for 28 days.