English Chess Forum

Simon Rogers wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 17, 2021 10:47 pm

Interesting to see whether the Prime Minister has to self isolate now.

He doesn't generally miss an excuse to run into hiding. Perhaps he will volunteer to be the first to test whether an unquarantined holiday in the Caribbean is an effective remedy.

Simon Rogers wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 17, 2021 10:47 pm

Mick Norris wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 17, 2021 7:25 pm

Well, he's got it himself now

Apparently Sajid Javid has now confirmed that his PCR test has come back as positive for Covid. He was in close contact with Boris at 10 Downing Street amongst others yesterday. Interesting to see whether the Prime Minister has to self isolate now.

No one rule for them?

But one quick U-turn later; https://news.sky.com/story/pm-and-sunak ... t-12358198

Blimey, that was quick; they really are a shambles

Gove got away with it though didn't he? Around the time of the Champions League final

Whether it is right or wrong that they go on the pilot scheme is one question and there is some argument that their original plan made sense. What I find disturbing is that they seemed not to anticipate the reaction that would follow. In my opinion the government often seem to react but not anticipate.

Mick Norris wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 18, 2021 11:25 am

Gove got away with it though didn't he? Around the time of the Champions League final

Confirmation, if it were needed, of who is still calling the shots.

And that is?

Phil Neatherway wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 18, 2021 12:32 pm

And that is?

Like Mick said.

My policy is avoid crowds and aim for decent ventilation. I won’t use the tubes. I certainly have no confidence in fetid crowded spaces packed like sardines. It is the easiest way to catch an infection. When I return to work, I will cycle. I will be taking a carbon dioxide detector.
Carbon dioxide detectors are being used in Belgium to help people check air quality. Wearing a mask makes little difference to your chances of catching Covid. Advice from two doctors was as follows.
Avoid crowds, have a good diet and decent sleep. Keep your hands clean. Take a vitamin D supplement. The doctor who leads a vaccination clinic went on to say that a healthy immune system can deal with low levels of Covid virus, the danger is exposure to higher levels at a longer period of time.
When the tournament is held, decent air quality will be important. Masks will be optional.
As for Sajid, he probably attends a number of crowded meetings.
Medicine pre antibiotics, recognised the importance of air sanitation. Pity modern life styles have forgotten it.
A mask will not stop Covid.

Gary Cook wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 18, 2021 1:41 pm

Avoid crowds, have a good diet and decent sleep. Keep your hands clean. Take a vitamin D supplement.

Good advice I'm sure, but in today's England the queston is whether, if people cannot provide proof that they are doing all of these things, you must bar them from your chess club.

Interesting article
https://apple.news/A2Pu4-hNgSr-ea3Vc8mSvbg

I'm sure we all have our own policies, things we will do and won't do, based on what we think we know. That's taking personal responsibility. What's missing is actual information about the risks, and specifically the risks in playing chess.

My feeling is that if we went back to no restrictions at all, then over 90% of cases of coronavirus contracted at chess events would be from your opponent breathing towards you for several hours, and nearly all the rest would be from the people sitting next to you and their opponents. If that's the case, then it's pointless sanitising pieces, keeping people apart away from the board, etc. Whereas insisting everyone has a negative lateral flow test would make a big difference. One would like to know how much difference ventilation and mask-wearing would make. And how the risk of death or serious illness compares to the risks we ran playing chess during flu season in the past.

Organisers and participants would be better able to make an informed judgement.

NickFaulks wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 18, 2021 1:54 pm

Gary Cook wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 18, 2021 1:41 pm

Avoid crowds, have a good diet and decent sleep. Keep your hands clean. Take a vitamin D supplement.

Good advice I'm sure, but in today's England the queston is whether, if people cannot provide proof that they are doing all of these things, you must bar them from your chess club.

Let’s just hope the people you want to bar are not the driving force behind the club, otherwise all that will happen is the club will fold.
Too many have already gone to the wall.

Gary Cook wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 18, 2021 2:23 pm

Let’s just hope the people you want to bar are not the driving force behind the club, otherwise all that will happen is the club will fold.

That is precisely the grand plan. Everything we have come to know and treasure in our society must be razed to the ground like postwar Warsaw, and the nation rebuilt in the image of "The Science".

Gary Cook wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 18, 2021 2:12 pm

Interesting article
https://apple.news/A2Pu4-hNgSr-ea3Vc8mSvbg

Here's a response from Professor Cath Noakes: https://twitter.com/CathNoakes/status/1 ... 9339794435. It appears Dr Colin Axon has mistaken virus size for carrying respiratory particle size.

He also seems only to have considered single-layer cotton masks whereas scientists are advocating multi-layered cotton masks or other types. Again - for the third time now - I refer you to Trisha Greenhalgh's Twitter thread. See, in particular, from here (tweet 61 in thread) onwards.

Also, I note that the Telegraph piece refers to the Danish study on masks without any mention of criticisms of the study.