Borders to.open Nov 14

[rtritudr]

3 hours ago, VERYSTORMY said:

The evidence though is that it wasn't England that was the problem. It was Spain. Lots of people went on holiday in August when restrictions eased and brought it back. 

Yes you not only have to check who you're opening up to, but who they in turn are opening up to.  It's the weakest link.

[MacGyver]

6 hours ago, rtritudr said:

Sometimes you do wonder if these people are being paid by China to spread misinformation.

I tend to find attitudes towards the virus are reflective of political views. People are drawn to publications that reflect their own world view and for some, this can lead to misinformation and a minimisation of the pandemic.

For example some right wing publications take the lead from Mr Trump. He is motivated to minimise the virus as he has handled it so badly. Supportive publications are motivated to minimise the virus to let Mr Trump off the hook and to conjure up “others” to blame. People drawn to those publications are exposed only to this narrative and understandably form an opinion based on this denial.

The science seems very clear to those who wish to look.

[rtritudr]

5 minutes ago, MacGyver said:

For example some right wing publications take the lead from Mr Trump. He is motivated to minimise the virus as he has handled it so badly. Supportive publications are motivated to minimise the virus to let Mr Trump off the hook and to conjure up “others” to blame. People drawn to those publications are exposed only to this narrative and understandably form an opinion based on this denial.

Yes these are the groups who would be most receptive to such misinformation.  If you were running a misinformation operation for China wouldn't you be targeting exactly these people? After all, the objective of a misinformation operation is not necessarily to spread information that makes you look good, but rather to sow mistrust and create chaos in the target audience.

This also aligns with the reported Russian influence operations in the US.  They are usually just amplifying (e.g., through the use of Facebook/Twitter bot accounts) what is already out there to maximise the damage that can be done.

[Tulip1]

7 hours ago, Marisawright said:

The trouble is that it's so hard to fight.   We're all diligently washing hands and wiping down groceries, but increasingly, it looks as though surfaces are a very minor source of infection (the studies so far have contaminated surfaces with massive amounts of live virus, which isn't how it would be in the real world).

From the research that's coming out, it seems the biggest risk is just being indoors with other people, and breathing in their infected breath.  The virus can hang in the air for much longer than previously thought, and be moved around by the air conditioning.  One study suggested tables in restaurants need to be at least 2.5 metres apart.

Funnily enough, planes are fine because the air flow can be set to change over the air very rapidly.  On other public transport or in buildings where a high percentage of air is recirculated (or where the air con doesn't work!), it's a real worry.   

(Not suggesting we should stop washing hands, of course!) 

I think being in the path line of an infected person is key too. Careful positioning of tables in restaurants for example can help. At work we were told from the beginning that if you can’t be at least 2 metres from each other (which is sometimes impossible in an office environment) then we must turn our backs on each other. We do this always and it’s now second nature. We have a few narrow parts of our work area and it does look funny when 2 people are in those areas they are walking along the walls staring at the walls if that makes sense. I do this in shops too. If ever I have to walk past someone I find myself automatically turning sideways/back to them as I pass. I’m not sure how much difference these things make but every little helps. 

[Tulip1]

8 hours ago, Toots said:

 

Common sense really but unfortunately it's been proven time and time again not everybody seems to have it     ......................  common sense I mean.

Far too many lack not only common sense but also decency and respect for others (otherwise known as being selfish)