The Coronavirus and its impact on sport/Fans Return (Merged)

[CotswoldRed]

6 minutes ago, Chappers said:

Just for the record, my wife is high risk, but you can’t just live in some bubble, there are many other things that could affect her, like flu. I just can’t go with this media hype and panic-mongering, sensible precautions yes, panic and over-reaction, no.

Indeed, personal choice. 

As it happens, if the only way to secure the health of your children is to live in a bubble, then it's by no means panicking. It's a considered and measured response. 

[LondonBristolian]

27 minutes ago, One Team In Keynsham said:

I was supposed to be flying to Milan next weekend to visit my niece and take in AC v Roma. That has all been scratched. She is presently at home in Nice not knowing when she can get back to Uni in Milan.

It mehr be depressing to cancel trips but certainly sensible. The disruption must be frustrating for your niece though.

[Chappers]

9 minutes ago, CotswoldRed said:

Indeed, personal choice. 

As it happens, if the only way to secure the health of your children is to live in a bubble, then it's by no means panicking. It's a considered and measured response. 

Personal choices, hopefully I’m off to Chernobyl in 3 weeks, that should zap any virus! 

[Bristol Rob]

27 minutes ago, One Team In Keynsham said:

The misconception of facemasks:

https://www.livescience.com/face-mask-new-coronavirus.html?fwa

Aware of that, but I wasn't about to leave a large breakfast and chase after people to tell 'em they are wasting their time! 

[BanburyRed]

36 minutes ago, Bristol Rob said:

I'm currently on Gloucester Road having coffee and breakfast. So far I have seen 6 people wearing face masks.

Which is far from normal. So clearly people are taking this seriously, or at least trying to protect themselves.

Normal attire for the away fan to the Mem....

[AppyDAZE]

45 minutes ago, Chappers said:

Just for the record, my wife is high risk, but you can’t just live in some bubble, there are many other things that could affect her, like flu. I just can’t go with this media hype and panic-mongering, sensible precautions yes, panic and over-reaction, no.

I'm in the "risk" group too, but I'm hoping not the high-risk. I have type 1 diabetes, I'm 58 but I haven't had any other problems other than having to take insulin daily.

I'm like you, I feel a lot of this media stuff is going way overboard.

I read the average age of those that have died in Italy is 81.

AVERAGE age = 81. People die when they get old, and viruses kill people. Noooo ffs

Edited March 7, 2020 by AppyDAZE

[Norn Iron]

I appreciate those that are making decisions for their family. Putting your family first is correct.

I appreciate what Cotswold Red posted. I don't know your medical circumstances and I applaud your reaction to Chappers' bubble response (which I tend to support generally). However, and in my case, there has to be a 'however'! Please read on.

A few here will know that I am a full-time carer to my wife. I have had this 'job' for nearly twenty years (previously I was a full time radio presenter.) I had to put our then new born son first as my wife was now registered blind and had just been diagnosed with cancer of the thyroid. For those that don't know your thyroid is at the base of the front of the neck. It's been described as the engine room as "The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate the body's metabolic rate as well as heart and digestive function, muscle control, brain development, mood and bone maintenance." To have cancer in your thyroid, then have it removed  means you are now totally reliant on medicines and your immune system is susceptible. My wife has other medical issues that if you want to play Illness Top Trumps with her, prepare to lose!

Am I naive or stupid in disregarding the press' current attitude? Maybe, but if I worried about every single virus/illness that is going around the world, I'd be even more screwed up than I am currently. As for my wife? Having been through the mental mangle that is "What if...." you start to get a better perspective. I'm not trying to sound all pompous and arrogant here but if it comes across as that forgive me. Despite having to sell our house to survive, despite having to then rely on the housing executive to provide accommodation as our capital had run dry, we are still alive. 

We have survived SARS, Swine Flu, various food products bring recalled, poor 'air quality' and goodness knows what else ( I would have said Tony Pulis as well as a bit of humour but he was outside of this time frame).

If it means people take a reality check and realise how important family is, brilliant. If it means not going to watch 22 highly overpaid players run around for 90 minutes with a family member 70+, brilliant. If it means we start to take personal hygiene more seriously like wash our hands (doctors and nurses I'm looking at you especially) then brilliant. 

I'm more worried now that I might not get to see City vs Stoke in April (I've been treated to a ticket. My flights have been booked) because people that matter have been scared into making decisions by the media in particular. I'm more concerned that if the statistics are correct, in one single day 28 times more people are to die from suicide than the Coronavirus. What mental state are they in to take their own life? You might say "Coronavirus is contagious, mental illness isn't" but actually if we spent more time talking and just being with someone, we might be saving a life. So, if it means looking out for others as a result of this virus and spending more time with them, this could be a start.

My wife is still alive thanks to a superb NHS and GP family practice. We are off for yet another cancer check-up on Thursday in Belfast. Are we worried about Coronavirus? Not really. After what we've been through (see above!) This is just a blip.

The evidence as to how bad it truly is can be found from reading links on this very thread. Personally it's not as serious as some want to make out. However, the positives from this virus outweigh the negatives. Thinking about family members and then spending time with them instead of going to a game is superb. Thinking and then doing something practical for the vulnerable is truly great. 

Thank you Cotswold Red and Chappers for engaging in this thread and making me react. Neither of you are wrong. If having read my epistle, you think it's a load of rubbish then please respond but do it in a way where we can discuss without using words to denigrate or put down. 

COYR especially April 18th (unless Sky says otherwise)!

 

 

[AppyDAZE]

3 hours ago, Norn Iron said:

I appreciate those that are making decisions for their family. Putting your family first is correct.

I appreciate what Cotswold Red posted. I don't know your medical circumstances and I applaud your reaction to Chappers' bubble response (which I tend to support generally). However, and in my case, there has to be a 'however'! Please read on.

A few here will know that I am a full-time carer to my wife. I have had this 'job' for nearly twenty years (previously I was a full time radio presenter.) I had to put our then new born son first as my wife was now registered blind and had just been diagnosed with cancer of the thyroid. For those that don't know your thyroid is at the base of the front of the neck. It's been described as the engine room as "The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate the body's metabolic rate as well as heart and digestive function, muscle control, brain development, mood and bone maintenance." To have cancer in your thyroid, then have it removed  means you are now totally reliant on medicines and your immune system is susceptible. My wife has other medical issues that if you want to play Illness Top Trumps with her, prepare to lose!

Am I naive or stupid in disregarding the press' current attitude? Maybe, but if I worried about every single virus/illness that is going around the world, I'd be even more screwed up than I am currently. As for my wife? Having been through the mental mangle that is "What if...." you start to get a better perspective. I'm not trying to sound all pompous and arrogant here but if it comes across as that forgive me. Despite having to sell our house to survive, despite having to then rely on the housing executive to provide accommodation as our capital had run dry, we are still alive. 

We have survived SARS, Swine Flu, various food products bring recalled, poor 'air quality' and goodness knows what else ( I would have said Tony Pulis as well as a bit of humour but he was outside of this time frame).

If it means people take a reality check and realise how important family is, brilliant. If it means not going to watch 22 highly overpaid players run around for 90 minutes with a family member 70+, brilliant. If it means we start to take personal hygiene more seriously like wash our hands (doctors and nurses I'm looking at you especially) then brilliant. 

I'm more worried now that I might not get to see City vs Stoke in April (I've been treated to a ticket. My flights have been booked) because people that matter have been scared into making decisions by the media in particular. I'm more concerned that if the statistics are correct, in one single day 28 times more people are to die from suicide than the Coronavirus. What mental state are they in to take their own life? You might say "Coronavirus is contagious, mental illness isn't" but actually if we spent more time talking and just being with someone, we might be saving a life. So, if it means looking out for others as a result of this virus and spending more time with them, this could be a start.

My wife is still alive thanks to a superb NHS and GP family practice. We are off for yet another cancer check-up on Thursday in Belfast. Are we worried about Coronavirus? Not really. After what we've been through (see above!) This is just a blip.

The evidence as to how bad it truly is can be found from reading links on this very thread. Personally it's not as serious as some want to make out. However, the positives from this virus outweigh the negatives. Thinking about family members and then spending time with them instead of going to a game is superb. Thinking and then doing something practical for the vulnerable is truly great. 

Thank you Cotswold Red and Chappers for engaging in this thread and making me react. Neither of you are wrong. If having read my epistle, you think it's a load of rubbish then please respond but do it in a way where we can discuss without using words to denigrate or put down. 

COYR especially April 18th (unless Sky says otherwise)!

 

 

Fantastic post. I generally can't be arsed to read it if the post looks too long. Yours was totally worth it. Superb post @Norn Iron

Edited March 7, 2020 by AppyDAZE

[havanatopia]

10 hours ago, tunnie12345 said:

Exactly this.... Remember only a couple of weeks ago when Caroline Flack had died? Coronavirus was barely mentioned for like a week, until people got bored of that story[ as harsh as it sounds].

Even the BBC lead with "Iran closes all schools and universities for a month" now while the fact is actually true. What they fail to mention until the last line of the story is that in fact after next Friday the schools are on holiday for 3 weeks anyway. Headline wouldn't quite sound as scary tho is they put "Iran lets kids break up a week early" does it!

Very well put.

6 hours ago, CotswoldRed said:

People don't like the economic impact, until its one of their family who dies. Then the economic factor is less important. 

I've no way of proving it, of course not, but I'm sure someone will directly/indirectly be infected and die as a direct result of football matches this weekend. Is that really worth it? 

If one dies of Corona then 60 will die of flu... Those are the factual numbers. Not made up. So I suppose you could then argue never go out? Because if you do you are incredibly selfish. That seems to be your position. 

[LondonBristolian]

4 hours ago, AppyDAZE said:

I'm in the "risk" group too, but I'm hoping not the high-risk. I have type 1 diabetes, I'm 58 but I haven't had any other problems other than having to take insulin daily.

I'm like you, I feel a lot of this media stuff is going way overboard.

I read the average age of those that have died in Italy is 81.

AVERAGE age = 81. People die when they get old, and viruses kill people. Noooo ffs

I think so much of it is the reporting.  Like yo and others, I am in the at risk group (underlying heart condition since birth plus high blood pressure, both generally under control) and my Mum is far more so. And I want clear information and advice to raise awareness and so I have the facts to keep myself safe. But the scaremongering nature of the headlines helps nobody. 

To deliberately take two examples from the same newspaper, I'd like to see more stories presented like this:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/07/coronavirus-reasons-to-be-reassured

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/07/coronavirus-symptoms-what-is-it-how-does-it-spread-should-i-see-a-doctor

And far less presented like this:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/07/is-coronavirus-mutating-into-a-more-deadly-strain-face-masks-covid-19-myths-busted

Clear factual information to encourage people to keep an eye out for any symptoms and take preventative steps is a really good thing. Asking scary questions in a newspaper headline to which the answer is basically "no" is the last thing we need and just fuels panic.

[bristolcitysweden]

8 minutes ago, havanatopia said:

Very well put.

If one dies of Corona then 60 will die of flu... Those are the factual numbers. Not made up. So I suppose you could then argue never go out? Because if you do you are incredibly selfish. That seems to be your position. 

No that's not the numbers. 0,001 dies from flue. 0,034 from this virus   

Edited March 7, 2020 by bristolcitysweden

[LondonBristolian]

8 minutes ago, havanatopia said:

If one dies of Corona then 60 will die of flu... Those are the factual numbers. Not made up. So I suppose you could then argue never go out? Because if you do you are incredibly selfish. That seems to be your position. 

The numbers are factual but only because - so far at least - far more people get flu. The evidence so far suggests cornoavirus is probably more infectious and more lethal than flu so the risk is higher.

I think there is a balance to be struck. I understand why some are taking far greater precautions due to specific health risks but I don't personally yet think there is a good reason to cancel games or large scale events. I don't think it impossible that moment will come but I don't think we are there right now. On the other hand, I think avoiding non-essential international travel, washing hands regularly and self-isolating if you might have the illness are sensible moves for everyone and avoiding large scale events is a sensible precaution if you are especially vulnerable. In two weeks time I am meant to be going to Nottingham for the weekend for the Forest game and a gig. I have to admit I'm a bit apprehensive about either. I think I'll still go - because I personally don't want to put my life on hold out of fear - but I'm probably the lower end of the "at risk" groups and I get it is a personal decision. Unless by then it is taken out of my hands...

What I find utterly perplexing is people stockpiling pasta and hand gel. Stockpiling pasta literally makes no sense - even if self-isolating you can still order shopping online and stockpiling handgel is based on massively counter-intuitive logic - depriving others of handgel is not a good plan for protecting yourself.

There is a need to be sensible and cautious at the moment. But I think the amount of scaremongering in the reporting makes it hard to work out exactly what "sensible and cautious" behaviour is

[eardun]

Just had an (unfortunate) thought: what if we make it to the play offs and then we win the playoffs and make it to the Premier League all behind closed doors? Haven’t fully decided what I think about that yet, although I think I’d prefer they postponed the play off final in that situation. It would be very strange finally making it to the PL with no fans there. Hopefully it won’t come to pass (the behind closed doors part, although the play offs part is also become more unlikely looking at other results this afternoon).

[AppyDAZE]

Adrian Durham (Talksport) not on duty today. Not on the radio.. Out sick, lost his voice (no jokes please)

He hasn't got it, has he? Anyone who gets ill now, with any kind of common cold like complaint is going to think they've contracted the dreaded covid-19.

I know I would if I felt a bit unwell.

 

Edited March 7, 2020 by AppyDAZE

[Harry]

Players couldn’t shake hands today but in the tunnel pre-match Maenpaa was high-fiving all the mascots!!

[Bristol Rob]

4 minutes ago, Harry said:

Players couldn’t shake hands today but in the tunnel pre-match Maenpaa was high-fiving all the mascots!!

But he wears gloves!

[Harry]

3 minutes ago, Bristol Rob said:

But he wears gloves!

Didn’t have them on at the time. They were stuffed into the back of his shorts. 

[Bristol Rob]

11 minutes ago, Harry said:

Didn’t have them on at the time. They were stuffed into the back of his shorts. 

So he has shoved his gloves up his arse and is high-fiving kids?

A devil may care attitude if I may say so.

[Harry]

 

[Chappers]

Just Google Hong Kong flu, a pandemic in 1968, very similar to this, minus the panic, press and bog roll hoarding. There have been a few flu strains over the years, Spanish flu in 1918 being the worst. Just seems to be a natural occurrence, but nowadays we have 24/7 media to scare us. 

[BS2 Red]

Clever little shits.

[RedorDead BCFC]

Due to go to Milan in April which is going into shut down till 3rd April. 
 

The speed of the spread of infection is worrying here so I can understand some are concerned. People saying fatalities are only the weak or old are missing the point. We all know and have these type of people in our families. 

Edited March 7, 2020 by RedorDead BCFC

[AppyDAZE]

57 minutes ago, Chappers said:

Just Google Hong Kong flu, a pandemic in 1968, very similar to this, minus the panic, press and bog roll hoarding. There have been a few flu strains over the years, Spanish flu in 1918 being the worst. Just seems to be a natural occurrence, but nowadays we have 24/7 media to scare us. 

SPOT on. Gets right on my tits, and clearly yours too. Totally agree with you.

83 year old dies in hospital of a virus, just doesn't seem to be so news sexy does it?

Edited March 7, 2020 by AppyDAZE

[AppyDAZE]

2 hours ago, Harry said:

 

Tom Cairney? I saw it too. It's all getting a bit silly to say the least.

Edited March 7, 2020 by AppyDAZE

[BanburyRed]

Lombardy in Italy going into lockdown....

[havanatopia]

10 hours ago, RedorDead BCFC said:

Due to go to Milan in April which is going into shut down till 3rd April. 
 

The speed of the spread of infection is worrying here so I can understand some are concerned. People saying fatalities are only the weak or old are missing the point. We all know and have these type of people in our families. 

I would have to disagree with you there. 

16 hours ago, bristolcitysweden said:

No that's not the numbers. 0,001 dies from flue. 0,034 from this virus   

You have proved my point from an earlier post... The numbers are all over the place. 

Basic hygiene is obviously something alien to many people.. how many times have you seen people go to a WC and walk out without washing their hands... I am sure most of us always do, I know I do. Flu or Covid 19... same precautions. 

Edited March 8, 2020 by havanatopia

[RedorDead BCFC]

5 hours ago, havanatopia said:

I would have to disagree with you there. 

You have proved my point from an earlier post... The numbers are all over the place. 

Basic hygiene is obviously something alien to many people.. how many times have you seen people go to a WC and walk out without washing their hands... I am sure most of us always do, I know I do. Flu or Covid 19... same precautions. 

Why disagree with me there? Are you saying you know no one who can be classed as high risk? Lucky you if it’s true or maybe unlucky you to not know anyone over the age of 75-80. 
 

My father is over that age and this time last year to be running 6 miles 3 times a week. Roll forward 12 months can hardly walk up stairs due to bladder cancer. Just shows how quick things can change. 
 

Also comparing it to normal flu, a high majority of people at risk have the yearly flu jab. 

Edited March 8, 2020 by RedorDead BCFC

[Scrumpylegs]

17 hours ago, BanburyRed said:

Lombardy in Italy going into lockdown....

Italy is about 3 weeks ahead of us Coronavirus wise. Expect lockdown here in about 3/4 weeks! Long Easter Holiday anyone?!

[Silvio Dante]

The U8s team I help coach had a game this morning. Handshakes after the game weren’t allowed.

With the news of a lower level team in NI having a player positive for COVID-19, and the measures taken there, it does seem that even if the season isn’t postponed it might be extended for some.

Logically, if a player tests positive and has to self isolate for 14 days, so do his teammates in view of the close working environment- hence no game for two weeks. Taking this a step further, if (say) Denis Odoi is announced as having COVID on Monday, it’s likely not only Fulham but BCFC players would be caught by an isolation requirement. I would hope in such a circumstance that the league would be pragmatic rather than try and force, say, 4 games in 10 days at the end of the season to finish on schedule.

Looking further afield, deaths in Italy have jumped today and there is now a major quarantine. The season is likely to be extended there - behind closed doors at moment but with 15m people (including Milan) in quarantine, teams in that area also can’t travel so not to breach the quarantine area.

It’s highly unlikely professional athletes are at mortal risk from COVID - but in view of the wider safety measures that may/will be needed to protect the at risk population, an extension is very much on the cards now for me.

[havanatopia]

4 hours ago, RedorDead BCFC said:

Why disagree with me there? Are you saying you know no one who can be classed as high risk? Lucky you if it’s true or maybe unlucky you to not know anyone over the age of 75-80. 
 

My father is over that age and this time last year to be running 6 miles 3 times a week. Roll forward 12 months can hardly walk up stairs due to bladder cancer. Just shows how quick things can change. 
 

Also comparing it to normal flu, a high majority of people at risk have the yearly flu jab. 

I disagree simply because not every family is in the unfortunate position to have a family member susceptible to catching any virus. And let's face it, it could be any virus if you are vulnerable.