General   (General discussion, talk about anything.)

Well, nobody is actually denying the existince of this virus. Of course it's real. That's what's got a lot of people confused. Of course it exists, but masks will not keep it away as it's airborne. So, if you put your mask on when you go to a public place, then take it off, it's still in the atmosphere, in your cars, in your homes and gardens. Think of an aerosol you use in your homes. It disperses droplets into the air which you can't see or feel. That's what a virus is. It's not confined to anywhere, but it's everywhere, inside and outside.

Covid-19 is so named because its existence was discovered in 2019 so, for a minimum of four months till the end of March, we were unaware of it and we went about our normal business until it was announced, and that's when the paranoia began, but it could have been discovered more than a year ago for all we know and was kept quiet until it got out of hand.

As Tommy said earlier, the Plague of 1918 (Spanish Flu) was the greatest pandemic of the 20th century which literally killed millions (500+ million to be exact), but viruses don't just disappear. There have been billions of viruses in our atmosphere throughout the centuries, most of which mankind has become immune to, but some not. They're still around but, because we've lived with them as we've developed over thousands of years, our immune systems have learned how to fight them off. Even the Bubonic Plague of the 14th Century can still be found in parts of Asia, Africa, Peru and the USA but because of medical advancement and antibiotics, it's no longer the killer it once was, so viruses never die off completely. They remain, but for the majority we can adapt until something new comes along, or is developed.

More people have survived this virus than have died but, if someone has an underlying upper respiratory illness, heart disease, kidney disease, cancer, etc when their immunity is lower than those who are normally well, then their chances of survival is lower than those who don't, but it doesn't necessarily mean it will kill them. There are people here on this board who've had it, but they're still here to tell the tale - thank goodness. Covid-19 cannot be equated to the "ordinary flu" (whatever that is), as this is more virulent for those who can't more easily fight against it. I've never had a flu jab in my life (I'm 70 now) and I never will. I told the receptionist at my surgery that there are enough viruses knocking around as it is, so why would I want to be pumped with a vaccine which includes a flu virus. From which flu would I be getting protection? Spanish, Russian, Asian?

Unfortunately, this "killer disease" has been blown out of all proportion but yes, people should be aware of it and take whatever precautions they think fit and, if they do have underlying illnesses, then steer clear of others. Originally, we were told that the main targets of Covid-19 were people over 70 and supposedly more vulnerable, but children have had it, teenagers, and people not so old, so it's a lottery, but the goal posts keep changing, making things even more confusing than ever.

Somebody mentioned something about not being selfish and to shop online, but it's not that simple for some. I for one don't have a mobile phone so no apps, and I've never shopped online in my life, and never will. I've been furloughed from work for the past eight months and believe me, if I didn't nip to the shop in the evening when it's quiet and have a little chat and a laugh with the staff, I would have had a hard time coping.

Unfortunately, the end result of this will be some folk, having been brainwashed, will never again know what it is to hug a loved one; no kissing granny or grand children; no more family get-togethers; no hand shakes to seal deals; no football/rugby stadiums and thousands of places which will be closed down for good; no more allowing your own children into your homes; in other words, no more enjoying yourselves and why? Because they will have been stripped of their humanity and become robots, which will end their normal lives that they've all been accustomed to, all because some idiots in Government became paranoid and refused to listen to the virologists and epidemiologists; scientists who have specialised in viral infections from Ebola, to Sars, to Avian Flu, ad infinitum. Why were we not locked down during those epidemics? Even measles and chicken pox are viruses which are curable in children, but highly dangerous, indeed life-threatening in adults, and those are still around. Just think of what else will cease to exist unless the Government allows the scientists to have a voice, but who have up to now been gagged.

Mankind has developed into interacting pack animals and our social and family lives are dependent on our very existence as humans. We are not singularities and we were never designed to be distanced from our own kind, any more than all the other animals on this earth, but we're now being taught to change our behavioural patterns towards others. Would you help a child, or old person, who falls on the street or gets knocked down by a car and is injured? Or, would you walk away from them out of fear of touching them? I know what I'd do. To be starved of human contact can cause deep depression and anxiety in a lot of people.

Black Friday is just around the corner, and people will be flocking for their bargains; then Christmas after that. Or will these annual events cease to exist because of the scaremongering of fools?

Sorry about the length of this post, and I don't expect anyone to agree or disagree, but if bats biting chickens in China is what caused this, which is what we were originally told, I'll bite off my own feet! It's the most ludicrous excuse I've ever heard in my life and, if it were true, then this virus would have emerged hundreds of years before now because the Chinese eat those bats regularly, so an outbreak would have happened long before now. This virus was manufactured.

Please don't call each other names though folks. There's no need for that, but sometimes frustration can get the better of us. This is not a time for recriminations. It's a time for us to make a stand, use logic and our own common sense, and try to live our lives as normally as we can without fear.

Well, that's my take on the situation, but stay safe everyone, and don't believe in everything you're told or what you read. I've said my piece, so I'll say no more.