COVID has hit nearly 800 students at Northumbria University, who have tested positive.

This puts residential education into huge uncertainty - and it seems likely that many students will be home soon.

With 78 of the 800 being a symptomatic. Or, if media were more neutral: 722 (90%,) who are totally fine without the coughs troubling the other 10%.

If 90%, of this population can be asymptomatic and Covid has been around for months and is ferociously infectious, then what percentage of the general population has already been infected?

When will we stop chasing our tail, grow up and get on with life as sensibly as we can.

And another thing! If only 78 of 800 have symptoms
why have 722 been tested when they had no symptoms?

Admittedly this farce changes daily and I may have missed another reverse, but I thought only those with symptoms should be getting tested. Didn't Matt Handjob and Boris only tell the nation off the other day for ruining their track and trace triumph by going for tests with no symptoms!?

Who is looking for a fucking story here and why by mass testing symptomless students by the hundreds?

The story, IMO, is simply that a large percentage of the students in a Newcastle university have been infected at the same time.

Many were seen (on TV) last weekend, congregating and closely cavorting in the Bigg Market area of the city - where the nitelife is.

It isn't unreasonable to think, bearing in mind that most live in Halls of Residence together - that physical proximity was the main cause of infections.

COVID protocols may be adhered to in college, but the market also entertains those who are totally indifferent to the disease - or even the rule of law.

Wyot wrote:
And another thing! If only 78 of 800 have symptoms
why have 722 been tested when they had no symptoms?

Admittedly this farce changes daily and I may have missed another reverse, but I thought only those with symptoms should be getting tested. Didn't Matt Handjob and Boris only tell the nation off the other day for ruining their track and trace triumph by going for tests with no symptoms!?

Who is looking for a fucking story here and why by mass testing symptomless students by the hundreds?

Just after Christmas, I had the symptoms of Covid even lost my taste and sense of smell. I did what I do everytime I have a cold and flu - sleep it off, drink green tea and don't go out; It was finally gone after 4 weeks.

There's a well known business in New York where my friend works, ( I won't say which) they had a visit from Chinese businness men, and a a married couple whom works at the building they went to China in November by December. Almost everyone had a cold or flu. All the staff who was ill went back to work in January.

middlemas wrote:
The story, IMO, is simply that a large percentage of the students in a Newcastle university have been infected at the same time.

Many were seen (on TV) last weekend, congregating and closely cavorting in the Bigg Market area of the city - where the nitelife is.

It isn't unreasonable to think, bearing in mind that most live in Halls of Residence together - that physical proximity was the main cause of infections.

COVID protocols may be adhered to in college, but the market also entertains those who are totally indifferent to the disease - or even the rule of law.

Yes I agree that despite my view on the response to the virus that too many are irresponsible. It is something that can kill - like the flu. I do what I can and wear a mask when required to.

But my genuine bewilderment here is why 722 students with no symptoms have been tested (they must have been to be declared positive) when they don't meet the criteria to be tested?

Is there a different rule for campus I have missed? Or did someone want to test en masse and why?

And the silly "Slow the Spread", "Test everyone" attitude. Yes, as it would have done with pre vaccine Flu, it may save a few lives. But the over reaction and panic is destroying far more than silly, trivial (for most) Covid19.

JK2006 wrote:
And the silly "Slow the Spread", "Test everyone" attitude. Yes, as it would have done with pre vaccine Flu, it may save a few lives. But the over reaction and panic is destroying far more than silly, trivial (for most) Covid19.

Would anyone take the vaccine ? And the track and trace in restaurants is flawed I always give out my defunct phone number and I never use my smart phone outdoors.

Also doesn't breach the data protection laws?

JK2006 wrote:
the over reaction and panic is destroying far more than silly, trivial (for most) Covid19.

It's not a mass killer compared to other viruses, but ranks highly for contagiousness.

Virtually every country on earth had infections within six months of the Chinese outbreak.

Exactly my point; less lethal than media likes; more contagious.

The virus/disease has low mortality rates; yet (compared to more lethal viruses) high infection numbers.

WHO today said that 10% of the world population (7.8b) could be infected. It may be more; we may all have/had it.

Even by the current ratios, the WHO figures aren't good news. Although most infections are mild.

Extrapolating the figures though suggests many more deaths - on low ratios of death to illness.