Coronavirus outbreak

[classic33]

Think it would have a much greater effect on reducing transmission if masks were worn inside all the time.
Is there evidence that the virus is spreading in the open air with people keeping their distance? Most transmission is indoors.
Of course mandatory mask wearing in public outdoors would be much easier to enforce (mainly by public peer pressure, not policing per se) - which is why it's not seen as a stupid question - but along a path in rural Lantau? Mandating indoor mask-wearing would be nugatory - in any country in the world, let alone a liberal democracy. Routine in health care and care settings though, and rightly so, given the threat and the necessary constant mixing of individuals.
How do you think a yahoo poll asking this would go?
"Have your say: Should everyone wear face masks indoors in the UK?"

If you're already exempt, on medical grounds, should you have too?

I'm assuming your question is based on wearing one at home.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

My view is - what harm is done by wearing a mask? I'm sure in some extreme cases it might cause an issue but these are surely just that - extreme cases involving few people.

 

[MrGrumpy]

If you're already exempt, on medical grounds, should you have too?

I'm assuming your question is based on wearing one at home.

There seemed to be a quite a few at my work who were exempt ?? !! Never went unnoticed that mask wearing had dropped considerably over later half of 2020 . Funny how when the topic of moving them to safer areas to work in resulted in suddenly a mask reappearing! Too many selfish people about.

 

[mjr]

My view is - what harm is done by wearing a mask? I'm sure in some extreme cases it might cause an issue but these are surely just that - extreme cases involving few people.

Glasses fog if there is any maladjustment, then I can't see where I'm cycling. If made compulsory, then wearing in cars should also be, to avoid further encouragement of motoring contrary to the guidelines.

 

[Ajax Bay]

@classic33 I think it's entirely reasonable not to wear a mask, even in places where it's required or prudent, if there is exemption on medical grounds. I think it's sensible, to help others understand, to wear a 'sunflower' lanyard. And this would be for public places, public transport, work settings and anywhere where ventilation is poor. In a liberal society the validity of exemption cannot be policed.
For the avoidance of doubt, I was not suggesting the 'indoors' Q be asked. But if you did ask it: yes, indoors at home. After all, does the evidence not show that that's where most people catch the virus, brought in by another household member? No, I have no link to such evidence. And I'm not suggesting that people be invited to wear masks at home.
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/uk-household-transmission-coronavirus
Is most transmission asymptotic

(just testing, i.e. when the infector has no symptoms throughout the course of the disease) or pre-symptomatic (i.e. when the infector develops symptoms after transmitting the virus to another person)? Once the potential infector has symptoms then you'd expect that they and others would take deliberate precautionary measures, certainly in a domestic setting, reducing the risk.
"Major uncertainties remain."

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

There's a growing list of countries not giving the AZ vaccine to the over-65s because of lack of information. Sweden and Poland have just joined Germany and Austria in advising against its use.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Precautionary principle. Entirely reasonable, provided they have (a supply of enough of) another vaccine NOW to give to all the O/65s.
If they haven't, they'll have balanced up the additional lives that'll be lost against the risk of weak evidence from the Phase 3 trial (even moderated by the other evidence).
Sufficient numbers of the UK O/80s will soon have had a first dose of the Oxford-AZ vaccine 'long enough' to allow data to reinforce the other evidence, which was strong enough to persuade the MHRA and STIKO (4 weeks apart).

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Precautionary principle. Entirely reasonable, provided they have (a supply of enough of) another vaccine NOW to give to all the O/65s.
If they haven't, they'll have balanced up the additional lives that'll be lost against the risk of weak evidence from the Phase 3 trial (even moderated by the other evidence).
Sufficient numbers of the UK O/80s will soon have had a first dose of the Oxford-AZ vaccine 'long enough' to allow data to reinforce the other evidence, which was strong enough to persuade the MHRA and STIKO (4 weeks apart).

I thought it was the absence of 2nd dose vaccination information for the over-65s that is the problem.

Oh, and 100,000 excess deaths have now been registered.

 

[mjr]

yes, indoors at home. After all, does the evidence not show that that's where most people catch the virus, brought in by another household member? No, I have no link to such evidence. And I'm not suggesting that people be invited to wear masks at home.

Good because the thing you seem to miss is that masks only reduce the risk and do not eliminate it and I suspect most people are at home long enough that they would still become infected if another member of the household is.

The main time it might help is if the household is split into bubbles and no areas are shared except entry/exit ways, but that will increase feelings of isolation massively and probably lead to a "covid cabin fever" mental health crisis that would dwarf even the awful effects seen so far.

 

[RoubaixCube]

Unfortunately I fall within the postcode of this new mutation.

Im going to be stuck indoors till they are done with the testing.

 

[rualexander]

Potential protective effects of using mouthwash against covid 19, by reducing viral load. Also existing gout treatment Colchicine as a therapeutic for covid.

View: https://youtu.be/ldFRt-i3QzY


Also trial underway of Boots Dual Defence nasal spray.
https://www.healtheuropa.eu/clinica...9-protection-for-health-professionals/104294/

 

[mjr]

Potential protective effects of using mouthwash against covid 19, by reducing viral load.

It's more complicated than that. As well as the Brazilian brand, the linked study cites a study showing no-effect of hydrogen peroxide mouthwash.

But even if it does nothing against covid, it'll probably benefit your oral health.

The Boots Dual Defence trial is interesting. I suspect other similar sprays (Vicks do one) and even old-fashioned menthol-based remedies might help by dislodging some virus from the mouth and nose, too.

 

[Wobblers]

Working on the assumption that the vaccination programme is effective, in both rate and effectiveness.
Not a bet any bookie would take. The virus (all viruses) mutate all the time. The issue is whether COVID-19 throws out a variant which the current set of vaccines show low effectiveness against and is at least as transmissible as the original, and even then the world fails to control it.
And that's a bet which leaders across the world are making: I suggest the odds are good.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55534727

That's a very brave prediction! This virus has shown itself to be more than capable of generating mutations at a surprisingly high rate, given that its reproduction actually has an error correction stage. Two, possibly three, strains have emerged in the past four months that have increased transmittability. We could speculate whether or not this is the result of the pressure of social distancing and lockdown selecting for more transmittable variants.

Worse still, there is evidence that the SA variant is capable of re-infecting individuals who have previously been infected with earlier variants. The current vaccines also seem to be a little less effective against this variant. In short, this is a variant that already shows signs of vaccine escape. I suspect, sadly, that it's only a matter of time before a strain emerges that can evade both natural immunity and vaccine immunity. It's almost certain that we'll be able to change the vaccines to deal with this, but this adds to the logistical challenge. That may well become a major issue particularly in the Third World.

 

[tom73]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-...1a781a424aad02ec84e9dc&pinned_post_type=share

Has anyone shown him a map ? Australia is an island and has been for 1000's of years. Since the pandemic has Australia suddenly become 100% self supporting and has no need of anything from the outside?

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Interesting article from the BBC re antibody retention following Covid infection, early days but promising nonetheless:

"As many as 88% of people still have antibodies in their blood to fight Covid-19 six months after infection, a study of almost 1,700 people suggests."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55905158