Specchums and the coronavirus.

[+3code]

I look at the COVID figures almost daily and for a long time the ranking of the deceased was USA, Italy, Spain, France and then UK. Today when I look I see that suddenly UK has surpased France and Spain in just a couple of days, what the hell happened?

[PeterJ]

We started including care homes.

BBC News - Coronavirus: UK deaths pass 26,000 as figures include care home cases
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52478085

[1024MAK]

And the real figure could be even higher, because today’s figure of 26097 total deaths only includes people who were tested and found to have COVID19 Corona virus or COVID19 Corona virus is listed on the death certificate. Some deaths where COVID19 Corona virus is not listed, may actually also be due to COVID19 Corona virus.

See here for the U.K. government announcement https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dail ... -19-deaths

Mark

[PeterJ]

The problem is that every country records statistics slightly differently. It's impossible to compare country by country with statistical accuracy. They all need to adopt the MSX standard!

[1024MAK]

I was waiting in the giga-queue to enter the apocalyptic supermarket this afternoon, which has a main railway line running right past the edge of the car park (just a little storm fence inbetween the two).

Train after train went by, every single one completely empty*. Weird... I suppose they can't decide not to run a train if nobody turns up, because they'd end up with piles of trains blocking the tracks all around the country.

* Hopefully there was a driver aboard, and they weren't like that train in that Denzel Washington film.

The mainland railway system is running a reduced service (kinda like a bank holiday service) but when possible, trains will run regardless of passenger numbers to the current revised timetable.

Trains have to run (a) because someone may have been on the train earlier, or get on at a later station, (b) because the train crew and/or the train have to get to the timetabled destination to be ready for the next service.

Except for the Docklands Light Railway which has automated trains, all other trains need a driver to operate a special control at regular intervals (every couple of minutes), otherwise there will be an automatic activation of the emergency braking system.

Mark

[Firefox]

Except for the Docklands Light Railway which has automated trains, all other trains need a driver to operate a special control at regular intervals (every couple of minutes), otherwise there will be an automatic activation of the emergency braking system.

I didn't really think those trains had no drivers in them!

They should've fitted that system to that runaway train in that Denzel Washington film about the runaway train. Then again, it perhaps wouldn't be a very good film if the train had just ground to a halt half a mile outside the depot...


What amazing things will tomorrow's weekly visit to the apocalyptic supermarket bring...? I can hardly wait!

[DouglasReynholm]

Hello all! Hope you are all well.

I've had a couple of weeks away from the internet in general, I've personally found it all a bit hard. I'd like to apologise to anyone I've offended on here recently without reservation. I do tend to be a bit less restrained when it comes to posting my personal opinions sometimes, but realise that I need to reign it in. My joking posts perhaps mask someone who can be a bit over sensitive themself.

Thanks for your understanding, I'd love to continue being a positive part of this community.

Thanks for reading.

Richard.

[Juan F. Ramirez]

But not only bad news these days, Boris Johnson and partner are expecting a baby!

[PeterJ]

Rather old news [mention]Juan F. Ramirez[/mention]. The baby arrived yesterday morning.

Nice image!

[R-Tape]

Chortle! There's one just like it in every home county.

[dfzx]

Would anyone else care to admit they're doing fine under lockdown? It's not really affected me, and I'm enjoying not having to commute. I feel rather guilty mentioning it though, given the enormous amount of misery and suffering almost everyone else is enduring.

[PeterJ]

Yes, I'm actually doing OK at the moment. Luckily I still have work (I do appreciate this has been hard for many) and am able to work remotely. We have a big garden (Its as bigger passion as the Spectrum, and Spring is a busy time). I'm not hugely social so that is not troubling me. My mood has actually been better than normal. Worst things are not being able to visit my mum, unable to see close friends for coffee and walks, not able to visit National Trust properties close to us, struggling to get supermarket slots, and not being able to get compost! (in that order).

We still go for our walk most days too. I've also taken up yoga.

I do have a few bad days of course, but not as many as before the lockdown. I'm very sorry for those of you who are struggling and of course anyone who has lost someone. All the very best to you.

[PeterJ]

Nice to have you back [mention]DouglasReynholm[/mention].

[1024MAK]

It is affecting different people in different ways...

When I was in our local supermarket on Tuesday evening, at one point there were three men (including me) trying to find items in the same aisle that were unfamiliar to each of us.... l was looking for filo pastry for my mum.
I guess there are many now doing the weekly shop who did not normally do it before!

In terms of my life, being a key worker, it has affected my job. I still have to go to work. I normally commute via train. The train service is now weird. For some shifts, the “normal” timetabled trains are running, but for other shifts, either there is no suitable train for the outward journey, or for the return journey. Walking to the station and getting on the train is strange. It’s often like being in a ghost town, because there is hardly anyone about.

Where there are no suitable trains, I now have to drive to the depot where I am based (about 20 miles away, so a round trip is 40 miles). This used to be a couple of times a month at weekends. Now I am having to drive far more often. So this is using more petrol than normal. Just as well the fall in oil prices has brought the cost of fuel down. Although due to tax, it’s expensive compared to other countries (102.9 pence per litre), but my seven year old hybrid is averaging about 55 MPG.

On the trains, the guard / conductor / train manager / ticket examiner very rarely walks through the train now. Often I find I am the only passenger on board, or there is only two to five other passengers on board.

At the station in the city where my depot is, a large normally busy station is nearly empty of people. Sometimes the only other people I see as I walk through it, is an occasional member of station staff, train crew or occasionally BT police. No more crowds of rush hour commuters. The gate line staff that are on duty stand about five metres away and just watch the occasional passenger wander through the open gates (one open, the next two or three closed, then another open gate etc.).

At work we have to stay 2 metres apart (although some are having difficulty remembering to do this). Instead of the team traveling in one van, now each team member is using one vehicle each. Or where this is not possible (non-driver) we separate a van into two sections with plastic sheeting and tape. We have been provided with suitable cleaning wipes, gloves and a limited supply of face masks (strictly for use if there is a task that needs two or more people to work closer than 2 metres, and the maximum duration is supposed to be one hour).

I must admit, last week it was rather nice being able to work outside in the nice sunny weather.

Driving around the city is also strange. There is so little traffic on the roads. Normally the “rush hour” lasts for most of the day. Not anymore... Normally it’s frustrating driving around due to all the traffic. Now it’s easy. On the motorways I would say that about 75% of the traffic is either lorries or vans.

Away from work, I now only go out to walk the dogs, get medicine, or go shopping.

Where I walk the dogs is nearly as busy if it’s a sunny day (it’s along a cycle path that has various sized areas of grassland because under the ground there are many underground drains that makes it unsuitable to build on).

I only ever went to a pub occasionally, now of course that’s no longer possible. But that just means that I now miss it!

I am using Zoom to stay in contact with some fellow workers that are not based in my depot.

I am also active in the Acorn community, and in place of physical meet-ups, we are now having virtual meet-ups using Zoom.

Earlier this week, my mum received news that a distant family member had died (not from COVID19, but due to a different illness) . So she was upset. Telling me about how the close family could not visit the hospital. That the close relatives that are abroad can’t travel to the funeral. That there is a maximum of ten allowed at the funeral, and that the service has to take place at the grave and not in a chapel.

While walking the dogs, walking to / from the railway station, driving to / from work or while driving to / from the pharmacy / shopping, around the town where I live, I’ve been watching contractors working for Virgin install green plastic tubing and distribution cabinets ready for fibre optic (I presume) cable to be installed. They are currently working in the road where I live. We now have a little black plastic hatch in the pavement where the pedestrian gate is outside the house.

That’s enough waffle from me for now...

Mark

[Juan F. Ramirez]

Chortle! There's one just like it in every home county.

Mmmmm...

[1024MAK]

Hello all! Hope you are all well.

I've had a couple of weeks away from the internet in general, I've personally found it all a bit hard. I'd like to apologise to anyone I've offended on here recently without reservation. I do tend to be a bit less restrained when it comes to posting my personal opinions sometimes, but realise that I need to reign it in. My joking posts perhaps mask someone who can be a bit over sensitive themself.

Thanks for your understanding, I'd love to continue being a positive part of this community.

Thanks for reading.

Richard.

Hi Richard

Welcome back

Well, if it helps, I did not have any problems with what you posted.

It is sometimes hard to gauge where the line is with this COVID19 Corona virus outbreak. And different people are effected differently. So what some find funny, may be upsetting for others.

I found this out myself with a post that I put up, that, at the time, I thought was amusing. I was only thinking of the situation in the U.K. and did not think about what was happening in other countries. But soon found out that I had made an error of judgment.

So don’t feel bad. There is enough sadness in this world already.

Mark

[1bvl109]

Would anyone else care to admit they're doing fine under lockdown?

I'd say I'm doing ok, but if it helps I'm ready to admit, that I'm aware I'm privileged. Others have it real hard. E.g. there are elderly or otherwise disabled peolpe living here, who depend on community and other social services, which have been stripped down to close to nothing.

[dfzx]

I'm a contractor working for IBM. IBM's enterprise product development plans stretch years into the future, so the product I'm currently working on was all financed a couple of years back. The team is still at full strength. IBM also allows people to work from home as they like. We were all told to work from home before the lockdown actually came into force, and when we did so all the infrastructure was up and available to use. The whole lot of us suddenly using remote access was just about seamless. My team lead is now the only person allowed on site, and he needs approval otherwise the badge locks will prevent him access. So lockdown hasn't affected my work a great deal.

Both my partner and I hate shopping. We've used home delivery every week for at least 15 years, and it's been almost that long since I went into a supermarket. Because I we like Saturday delivery, and those slots are the most popular, we always book them weeks in advance. Not stockpiling - we only use one slot a week just as before - but it meant that when the whole country suddenly wanted home delivery we had a couple of month's worth of slots already booked. As loyal customers, Waitrose are now making sure we get slots made available to us. So nothing's really changed there either.

We don't have children, so although the house is fairly small we have a home office each and hence space to work. The garden is adequate to potter about in, and we're inside the New Forest National Park, so we can go for a walk or a bike ride in a beautiful area simply by opening the gate. It's pretty much what I'd do anyway.

We do genuinely feel extremely fortunate. We've vowed that when lockdown is done we're going to make the effort to go out and frequent many more local restaurants and attractions than we normally would, to increase their revenue a bit while they try to recover their businesses.

[Pegaz]

Maybe it's time to relax a little with this great song, from my favorite band.
Very prophetic lyrics, written ten years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHg9PJc1Nds

[Alessandro]

Lockdown is becoming less strict here but the general impression is still this one...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ2oXzrnti4

[PeterJ]

Lockdown is becoming less strict here but the general impression is still this one...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ2oXzrnti4

Good choice of tune sir!

[Alessandro]

Good choice of tune sir!

Thanks! I know it's actually a social criticism of the era but I believe that it strangely (and eerily) applies to ours as well...

[R-Tape]

Would anyone else care to admit they're doing fine under lockdown? It's not really affected me, and I'm enjoying not having to commute. I feel rather guilty mentioning it though, given the enormous amount of misery and suffering almost everyone else is enduring.

I'm also among the 'can't complain' group. Like many here, the main stress is getting supermarket slots for elderly relatives, and that's just about do-able now. I'm not furloughing because there are things I can do, including occasionally popping out to the field station (feels like a little holiday!). It'll be fine for a few more weeks, but after that I'm going to really need to get back into the lab. Hoping for some kind of phased restart around then.

I have friends working in the hospital, and of course they've had a much more stressful month. Things have gone pretty quiet for now though, so there's a lot of unused capacity set aside for covid, and people not getting regular problems treated.

What amazing things will tomorrow's weekly visit to the apocalyptic supermarket bring...? I can hardly wait!

How cheap are Easter eggs now?! Maybe I got lucky and picked a quiet time, but the big supermarket near me was a surprisingly pleasant experience.

[R-Tape]

Is anyone wearing a mask when out? In case it becomes recommended advice, I got some made up by the local fabric shop. The elastic's a bit tight, so it gives me goblin ears. It makes my specs steam up as well, but there are ways to ameliorate that.

This'll put the staff at Sainsburies at ease...



I wish I thought of this at the time...

[Alessandro]

Is anyone wearing a mask when out?

You cannot enter public places - shops, supermarkets, offices etc. - without masks and gloves here, so yes, although not all of the time, for example not when I am driving.