31 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Which communicable diseases?  They wear full haz mat suits around ebola.  Respirators were used during bird flu and swine flu.  

 

The only precaution that works 100% is not to go near any other people.  That would absolutely be my preference but the shops wouldn't survive like that so sadly we are forced to be near each other.

I should also add, I didn't wear a mask the last time I went shopping, my choice, but kept well away from others and expect others to do the same...  Not possible at peak times of course.  I doubt anyone choosing to wear a mask is purposely invading someone else's air space.

I always make an attempt to shop off-peak.When stationery browsing the food isle,I’m surprised that some customers reach over in front to pick up an item. I’ll always turn my head away in that situation.It’s not like I’m standing still for 5 minutes.😀

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

Which communicable diseases?  They wear full haz mat suits around ebola.  Respirators were used during bird flu and swine flu. 

I was thinking more of your 'standard' flu, and measels LOL Not much Ebola happening in the local Belfast hospitals...

Things not going to plan across the water as of yet ?

BBC News - Covid-19: Pubs curfew and working at home return in Ireland
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59305710

15 minutes ago, Wino said:

Things not going to plan across the water as of yet ?

BBC News - Covid-19: Pubs curfew and working at home return in Ireland
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59305710

Now, you do realise that is Southern Ireland, not Northern where I am, which is still part of the UK LOL (Easy mistake to make though, Boris forgot and left us in the EU!)

32 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

Now, you do realise that is Southern Ireland, not Northern where I am, which is still part of the UK LOL (Easy mistake to make though, Boris forgot and left us in the EU!)

Yes I did know Stephen, have relatives in Cork.

 

2 minutes ago, Wino said:

Yes I did know Stephen, have relatives in Cork.

 

We had 4 days booked in Donegal in December - Hotel called us yesterday to cancel booking because of Covid. 3rd time in 18 months we've had a Donegal break cancelled because of government intervention!

11 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

We had 4 days booked in Donegal in December - Hotel called us yesterday to cancel booking because of Covid. 3rd time in 18 months we've had a Donegal break cancelled because of government intervention!

Perhaps they have heard of your non mask wearing shenanigans and are keeping you at more than arms length 😄

1 minute ago, Wino said:

Perhaps they have heard of your non mask wearing shenanigans and are keeping you at more than arms length 😄

Odd though that their face covering ethos is very strong, yet the virus is increasing - strange that, you'd almost think they had no effect 🤣

18 hours ago, StephenFord said:

I was thinking more of your 'standard' flu, and measels LOL Not much Ebola happening in the local Belfast hospitals...

HCWs are vaccinated against measles and seasonal flu...the effectiveness and time scale of those vaccines is well known and long term tested.  Clinical masks in that case are really to avoid direct 'splatter'.  Plenty of HCWs caught Covid early on due to a lack of suitable PPE.  

Though I will admit that I have no idea why seasonal flu is still considered a minor inconvenience by many people, rather than a deadly virus that kills thousands every year...  Personally I've had to avoid winter events for years because of it.

19 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Though I will admit that I have no idea why seasonal flu is still considered a minor inconvenience by many people, rather than a deadly virus that kills thousands every year...  Personally I've had to avoid winter events for years because of it.

That's why I have been 'flu' jabbed for the last 20 years or so...

Just now, StephenFord said:

That's why I have been 'flu' jabbed for the last 20 years or so...

Indeed.  But not everyone can be, and they don't always get the prediction right about which strains will be prevalent in that year.  It's good to have as a fallback, but doesn't replace other precautions imo.

1 minute ago, TomsFocus said:

Indeed.  But not everyone can be, and they don't always get the prediction right about which strains will be prevalent in that year.  It's good to have as a fallback, but doesn't replace other precautions imo.

Tom, you are so right. We're returning to the issue of personal responsibility. Most recent example I have is after my 'booster' I was asked to sit in the waiting room for 15 minutes. There was no way I was sitting for a quarter of an hour in a room with 30 odd people with potentially goodness knows what! LOL So, I left - I'm a grown up...

24 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

Tom, you are so right. We're returning to the issue of personal responsibility. Most recent example I have is after my 'booster' I was asked to sit in the waiting room for 15 minutes. There was no way I was sitting for a quarter of an hour in a room with 30 odd people with potentially goodness knows what! LOL So, I left - I'm a grown up...

I understand that they are concerned that people might faint after the jab. I was asked if I had driven to the appointment, when I said that I had walked they didn't want me to wait for 15 minutes. People fainting whilst driving can cause problems for other road users. 

1 minute ago, pcaouolte said:

People feinting whilst driving can cause problems for other road users. 

No kidding! 🤣🤣🤣

Just now, StephenFord said:

No kidding! 🤣🤣🤣

Let’s all stop driving just in case of a heart attack 👍

26 minutes ago, williamweb said:

Let’s all stop driving just in case of a heart attack 👍

Lol. A bit if foresight and planning ahead. Simply get another family member to drive you there and back.

If you haven't anyone then perhaps leave the car at home and walk. Most of the boosters are given at local doctors or community hubs now so no long journey to back and beyond to a designated Covid centre.

28 minutes ago, Wino said:

If you haven't anyone then perhaps leave the car at home and walk. Most of the boosters are given at local doctors or community hubs now so no long journey to back and beyond to a designated Covid centre.

My GP surgery is a 30 mile round trip LOL Now, you may be able to walk it, but I certainly can't... Not all of us live in an urban style area.

33 minutes ago, Wino said:

Lol. A bit if foresight and planning ahead. Simply get another family member to drive you there and back.

If you haven't anyone then perhaps leave the car at home and walk. Most of the boosters are given at local doctors or community hubs now so no long journey to back and beyond to a designated Covid centre.

I always promote exercise being a keen cyclist.My vaccination station was around 20 miles away, ideal distance for me on my bike.I can get a booster at our local surgery but my thinking at the moment is to give it a miss, this time.According to the inventor of AZ ,it’s not necessary so I’ll wait and see.I’ll possibly have an antibodies test at sometime.

19 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

My GP surgery is a 30 mile round trip LOL Now, you may be able to walk it, but I certainly can't... Not all of us live in an urban style area.

Deffo take the car in that situation. My question is though....

Why is there no opportunity to have the booster jab locally ?

We now live semi - rural and like yourself our registered doctors are a 16 mile round trip. Albeit not as far as yours but still not a practical idea to walk etc hence the option of either locally situated hubs or mobile "pop in" centre. 

Do you not have access to the above in NI ? 

18 minutes ago, williamweb said:

According to the inventor of AZ ,it’s not necessary so I’ll wait and see.I’ll possibly have an antibodies test at sometime.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Professor Gilbert said it may only be necessary for certain groups. The top banana of AZ, Pascal Soriot said something similar:

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-astrazeneca-boss-says-booster-jabs-may-not-be-needed-for-everyone-and-widespread-rollout-could-put-extra-pressure-on-nhs-12401704

The booster programme is  now being extended to 40 plus age group, it seems.

7 minutes ago, Wino said:

Do you not have access to the above in NI ? 

My nearest 'pop in' center is 2 miles further away than my GP LOL

40 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Professor Gilbert said it may only be necessary for certain groups. The top banana of AZ, Pascal Soriot said something similar:

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-astrazeneca-boss-says-booster-jabs-may-not-be-needed-for-everyone-and-widespread-

40 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Professor Gilbert said it may only be necessary for certain groups. The top banana of AZ, Pascal Soriot said something similar:

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-astrazeneca-boss-says-booster-jabs-may-not-be-needed-for-everyone-and-widespread-rollout-could-put-extra-pressure-on-nhs-12401704

The booster programme is  now being extended to 40 plus age group, it seems.

rollout-could-put-extra-pressure-on-nhs-12401704

The booster programme is  now being extended to 40 plus age group, it seems.

Yes I did read this first time.The article is too mealy mouthed for me, especially anything to do with Sky reporting.

5 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Though I will admit that I have no idea why seasonal flu is still considered a minor inconvenience by many people, rather than a deadly virus that kills thousands every year...  Personally I've had to avoid winter events for years because of it.

Probably because they have only ever had bad colds and never had flu so don't know what it is like, there is a massive difference between the two of them. I have only had flu twice in my life, and I'm not a youngster, but normally get one bad cold and one milder one every year.

14 minutes ago, Tizer said:

normally get one bad cold and one milder one every year.

Lol, I only seem to get one cold a year - unfortunately it always seems to last 12 months!😀 But yes, real flu (as opposed to the "man flu" variety) is certainly no joke.

Alarm grows as mortuaries fill with thousands of extra non-Covid deaths

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/nhs-delays-height-pandemic-linked-184014799.html