Metropol

gottago wrote: ↑Mon 15 Jun, 2020 23.01 Westfield Stratford was an odd experience today. About 70% of shops open, some queuing systems for the more popular shops had to be positioned some way away because there was no space any closer to the store, a lot of totally dead shops, hand sanitiser everywhere. Not a fantastically fun experience which is kind of what going to a centre like this should really be and that's only going to add to the struggles these shops have, even if they're allowed to be open now.

Forgot to say in this that Hotel Chocolat has now begun its in store Easter sale which is just bizarre in June.

gottago wrote: ↑Mon 15 Jun, 2020 23.57

gottago wrote: ↑Mon 15 Jun, 2020 23.01 Westfield Stratford was an odd experience today. About 70% of shops open, some queuing systems for the more popular shops had to be positioned some way away because there was no space any closer to the store, a lot of totally dead shops, hand sanitiser everywhere. Not a fantastically fun experience which is kind of what going to a centre like this should really be and that's only going to add to the struggles these shops have, even if they're allowed to be open now.

Forgot to say in this that Hotel Chocolat has now begun its in store Easter sale which is just bizarre in June.

I bought some cream eggs on Saturday from a local filing station shop. They still had quite a selection of mini eggs and the like. Did feel odd having a cream egg in June!

Dr Lobster* wrote: ↑Mon 15 Jun, 2020 20.13 One of the things I can’t understand is face coverings...

I assume WHO and the government are just going along with telling people to wear them for psychology reasons only?

I mean, surely if you can smell the fart which came from the man standing in front you through your face covering, it is going to offer little in the way of protection against coronavirus?

Isn't it more to reduce the risk of you spreading it to others rather than to stop you catching it? If you sneeze or cough it is more contained within the face covering?

That's right. The idea with these simple face coverings is to stop big flecks getting out rather than tiny particles (which start out as big flecks then shrink as they dry up) or gases (farts) getting in

That's not to say it's a particularly airborne disease. So far as it is in the air, it's projectiles from your conversation partner rather than ominous clouds on the breeze

Sput wrote: ↑Tue 16 Jun, 2020 08.55 That's right. The idea with these simple face coverings is to stop big flecks getting out rather than tiny particles (which start out as big flecks then shrink as they dry up) or gases (farts) getting in

That's not to say it's a particularly airborne disease. So far as it is in the air, it's projectiles from your conversation partner rather than ominous clouds on the breeze

You’re absolutely right. However the use of masks encourages people into lazy hygiene practices and is surely unhygienic in itself.

Gail Walker, editor of the Belfast Telegraph, summed up well the mood of most people I know.

My partner and I had a COVID-19 test today. We both use the Kings College app to record our daily symptoms. John recorded hay fever type symptoms for a number of days. He was contacted yesterday and offered a test. I was able to get a test as I also use the app. There are a few thousand tests available for app users in England and Northern Ireland. These are being offered to those that don’t have the main symptoms as they want to try and see if there are other common symptoms.

The test was a bit surreal, taking place in a practically empty car park. The swabbing is uncomfortable but not sore. The most uncomfortable part was taking the nose sample. We were finished within ten minutes. I’d be amazed if either of us have it but taking the test almost felt like a civic duty on our behalf.

An hour later I was in a work conference call (I work in the Northern Ireland public sector) where the message was very much that it’s all over in Northern Ireland and to prepare for ‘normality’ in September. Having just taken a test and driven through mostly deserted streets at peak time I didn’t get the impression that “it’s all over”. Restrictions are being lifted quickly here now but there will still be a huge number of sectors that will be closed until well into the Autumn and the real economic impact will only be felt then. City centres are ghost towns still.

We have also volunteered to take part in the Ulster University antibody test to see if we have had the virus at some point. Since Monday they’ve had 5,000 people volunteer to take part.

Interesting. In Central London, things feel significantly more normal. It’s amazing how quickly COVID warnings have just become background noise, like the anti terrorism stuff. My local Pret A Manger reopened ages ago and has recently gone from selling “essentials” (£3 for 2pt milk!) to selling their full range. I expect the outlook is brighter for that branch than most others due to being in a mixed residential/business area rather than being in the city. Also I notice queues to enter supermarkets seem to have decreased significantly, I’m not sure if that’s because of less stockpiling or if supermarkets have changed their SOPs to increase capacity (eg dividers at self checkouts).

I had an antibody test offered to me and returned negative — I was a tiny bit surprised considering I had spent much of February and March in Coronabait hotspots. But there you go, I expect there’ll be plenty of Mr Carefuls who are even more surprised to have contracted Covid from their hermetically sealed isolation dome.

I’ve started taking flights again and that’s a truly weird experience. For most destinations there is verification at the check-in desk that you are undertaking essential travel, in addition to health declarations. I am exempt from the quarantine rules (in the U.K.) but still have to fill out the locator form which is surprisingly long. This is presumably to assist with contact tracing but since the form isn’t required on domestics that feels like an oversight.

I had a test offered via the KCL app a few weeks back. As I don't have a car, I went for the home test option. It was delivered by Amazon, in an Amazon branded box. The instructions were all pretty clear, but my goodness there were a lot of steps - you had to book a next-day courier slot from a website that's only open from 8am-4pm, and do the test between 9pm and 7am on the night before/morning of the courier pickup.

I'd reported a sore throat on a Friday, it was Wednesday evening by the time the swab got to them, and I got my (negative) result the following Friday, so who knows how accurate it was.

I've got one child back at nursery now and another starting school again on Monday, so let's see if either of them bring back any interesting surprises.

I’m impressed with the efficiency of the test. We got our results back this afternoon - negative. From test to results it was no more than 26 hours. I do question having been offered the test though. It seems like testing for the sake of it! And to help fiddle the government’s figures.

tightrope78 wrote: ↑Sat 20 Jun, 2020 17.11 I’m impressed with the efficiency of the test. We got our results back this afternoon - negative. From test to results it was no more than 26 hours. I do question having been offered the test though. It seems like testing for the sake of it! And to help fiddle the government’s figures.

What's wrong with testing for the sake of it? Stops people who don't have symptoms but do have the virus from spreading it. They should absolutely roll out mass testing as quickly as possible to stop the spread as other countries have done.