Coronavirus

[Spanish]

40 minutes ago, GboroRam said:

I really hope this is true. You can imagine a world where Covid isn't a major pain in the bum if this is the case. I was thinking we'd have a very, very long recovery - possibly never fully getting back to normal. Hopefully it becomes another Smallpox, effectively wiped out.

I think it won't follow the smallpox route as it can cross between humans and animals which smallpox couldn't.    

[Stive Pesley]

46 minutes ago, GboroRam said:

You can imagine a world where Covid isn't a major pain in the bum if this is the case. I was thinking we'd have a very, very long recovery - possibly never fully getting back to normal.

We just had our email from HR informing us that we are all about to be asked to sign a contract change to make us permanent home workers so that they can close all the offices. Big long-lasting changes ahead for a lot of people

[Wolfie]

54 minutes ago, GboroRam said:

I really hope this is true. You can imagine a world where Covid isn't a major pain in the bum if this is the case. I was thinking we'd have a very, very long recovery - possibly never fully getting back to normal. Hopefully it becomes another Smallpox, effectively wiped out.

I was reading about this yesterday....

It'll never be wiped out but, like all flu-like viruses, it'll mutate into ones that are less & less harmful due to natural selection.

Apparently what was originally the devastating Spanish flu virus is still with us today but it only causes the common cold nowadays - along with loads of other previously more dangerous viruses.

[Wolfie]

20 minutes ago, Stive Pesley said:

We just had our email from HR informing us that we are all about to be asked to sign a contract change to make us permanent home workers so that they can close all the offices. Big long-lasting changes ahead for a lot of people

How do you feel about that?.

Mrs Wolfie is in much the same boat. Apparently the local authority (Lincs) are going to rent some office space & this is going to be available to book for occasional team meetings and training for all departments. Other than that, yeah, all current offices are going to close.

Not so bad for us because she is set up with a proper office now in what was an unused spare room - but I know that there are people in her team working from a small table in the corner of their bedroom. Hardly ideal long-term.

I can see a lot of office buildings being converted into appartments in the future & we're all going to have to think about where people can work, when marketing our houses for sale.

[Bob The Badger]

1 hour ago, G STAR RAM said:

Its really quite sad and pathetic making 'league tables' like that, but nothing less than I would expect from the Guardian.

Says the man who because he *knows* two people in two hospitals out of area who *say* they're no busier than normal (without actually mentioning which type of ward they work on or what work they do) uses that *information* to base his opinion of the severity of a pandemic on.

Seems reasonable. 

BTW, my wife starts at the Royal Cornwall next month and their ICU is slammed.

Or so she says ?

[Stive Pesley]

Just now, Wolfie said:

How do you feel about that?.

Mrs Wolfie is in much the same boat. Apparently the local authority (Lincs) are going to rent some office space & this is going to be available to book for occasional team meetings and training for all departments. Other than that, yeah, all current offices are going to close.

Not so bad for us because she is set up with a proper office now in what was an unused spare room - but I know that there are people in her team working from a small table in the corner of their bedroom. Hardly ideal long-term.

Personally I'm OK with the concept as I have largey worked from home for the past few years anyway and have a home office - but yeah, there are plenty of people who are less than happy at the idea of it being made a permanent thing. My main personal concern is that it will transpire over time to have strings attached, or be used to justify no pay rises or bonuses

 

[Wolfie]

5 minutes ago, Stive Pesley said:

Personally I'm OK with the concept as I have largey worked from home for the past few years anyway and have a home office - but yeah, there are plenty of people who are less than happy at the idea of it being made a permanent thing. My main personal concern is that it will transpire over time to have strings attached, or be used to justify no pay rises or bonuses

 

....or a new tax on home-workers. Wasn't that mentioned previously?

[Norman]

15 minutes ago, Wolfie said:

How do you feel about that?.

Mrs Wolfie is in much the same boat. Apparently the local authority (Lincs) are going to rent some office space & this is going to be available to book for occasional team meetings and training for all departments. Other than that, yeah, all current offices are going to close.

Not so bad for us because she is set up with a proper office now in what was an unused spare room - but I know that there are people in her team working from a small table in the corner of their bedroom. Hardly ideal long-term.

I can see a lot of office buildings being converted into appartments in the future & we're all going to have to think about where people can work, when marketing our houses for sale.

Houses with a good-sized 3rd bedroom, or an attic conversion with a good-sized garden are probably going to be hard to find soon. Flats, apartments, tiny new-builds will probably see a sizeable fall in price. 

Location probably more important than ever now too. 

Phil Spencer has been saying that for what feels like decades, though. 

[Wolfie]

3 minutes ago, Norman said:

Houses with a good-sized 3rd bedroom, or an attic conversion with a good-sized garden are probably going to be hard to find soon. Flats, apartments, tiny new-builds will probably see a sizeable fall in price. 

Location probably more important than ever now too. 

Phil Spencer has been saying that for what feels like decades, though. 

Yeah it's already in progress with house prices being stronger recently in the more rural areas, as people look to move out of the cities and want more outdoor space close by. Smaller rural towns & suburbs with good transport links are going to be a lot more sought after.

From memory, aren't you Grantham way?. You'll be in the same boat as me in Newark - an occasional commute via the East Coast mainline is going to strengthen our property values, relative to the overcrowded London & South East, I reckon. Same for a lot of other semi-rural areas within an hour or so of a big city.

[Stive Pesley]

40 minutes ago, Wolfie said:

....or a new tax on home-workers. Wasn't that mentioned previously?

Maybe - as they will assume that the majority of people who have switched to home working will be saving massively on commuting (not me - i commuted by bike anyway)

As it stands we actually get a tax break from the govt for home working, to compensate for heating bills etc although it's not much

I imagine some people with basic internet connections will have struggled and had to upgrade to be able to manage permanent WFH

It also remains to be seen how it effects offshoring of roles to cheap locations - as it's another argument for doing it, if the person can be at home doing it, they can be in India at home doing it etc

And never mind the effect on homes, office space...the bottom is going to fall out of that market pretty sharpish

 

 

 

 

 

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

Just now, Stive Pesley said:

Maybe - as they will assume that the majority of people who have switched to home working will be saving massively on commuting (not me - i commuted by bike anyway)

As it stands we actually get a tax break from the govt for home working, to compensate for heating bills etc although it's not much

I imagine some people with basic internet connections will have struggled and had to upgrade to be able to manage permanent WFH

It also remains to be seen how it effects offshoring of roles to cheap locations - as it's another argument for doing it, if the person can be at home doing it, they can be in India at home doing it etc

And never mind the effect on homes, office space...the bottom is going to fall out of that market pretty sharpish

 

 

 

 

 

Yes you can claim 312 for the year at your highest rate of tax so -20% = 1/5 th over 12 months.

 Personally, I think everyone at physically going into work should have a laundry allowance for uniform this year even if it's not logoed.  The amount of gas/water/and electric I've gone through washing work clothes is crazy.

[JoetheRam]

Can foresee people in jobs who now have to work from home permanently privately renting their own office space/desks. 

Either those who have busy houses full of kids (COVID related or in school holidays)or those who are working from a table in the corner of their one room "apartment".

 

[G STAR RAM]

58 minutes ago, Bob The Badger said:

Says the man who because he *knows* two people in two hospitals out of area who *say* they're no busier than normal (without actually mentioning which type of ward they work on or what work they do) uses that *information* to base his opinion of the severity of a pandemic on.

Seems reasonable. 

BTW, my wife starts at the Royal Cornwall next month and their ICU is slammed.

Or so she says ?

Yeah that is exactly what I said isnt it.

Pretty sure I said that the information on bed occupancy is a available in the public domain if people wanted to view it.

I notice you forgot to mention the friend/family member that I mentioned who confirmed the Derby Royal Hospital is under pressure...wonder why that is?

So your wife is reporting that the ICU is slammed before she has even started work there...seems reasonable...maybe she should consider a career in the media before the NHS...

Anyway, you keep posting your league tables showing that 0.5 people per million more have died in the UK than in other countries, if it makes you feel better.

[Norman]

39 minutes ago, Wolfie said:

Yeah it's already in progress with house prices being stronger recently in the more rural areas, as people look to move out of the cities and want more outdoor space close by. Smaller rural towns & suburbs with good transport links are going to be a lot more sought after.

From memory, aren't you Grantham way?. You'll be in the same boat as me in Newark - an occasional commute via the East Coast mainline is going to strengthen our property values, relative to the overcrowded London & South East, I reckon. Same for a lot of other semi-rural areas within an hour or so of a big city.

Yeah, bought in Grantham last March. I've listened to Phil and bought a house in the right location in town but needed rewiring, central heating installed, new windows and doors, landscape job in the garden, work on the garage and a new kitchen and bathroom along with most of the house needing the plaster taking off the walls and boarded out. 

10 months later, I'm still not in. Done 90 percent of it myself, which is why.

Nearly there, though. End of March hopefully. 

Yeah, the housing market is really strong round here for the type of house I bought. Can only see prices going up round these parts because of the points you raise. 

[Sith Happens]

1 hour ago, Stive Pesley said:

We just had our email from HR informing us that we are all about to be asked to sign a contract change to make us permanent home workers so that they can close all the offices. Big long-lasting changes ahead for a lot of people

I've been told home working will continue for me post covid although likely 1 day a week in the office. 

I'm happy with that if it happens, I like the social contact and going in once a week will help with that but i much prefer the benefits home working gives me, i gain a couple of hours personal time each day, use my lunch to do jobs like grass mowing etc.

I find I'm more productive.

[Sith Happens]

proper mixed news day, awful that 1600 deaths recorded,  but positive news that positive tests 33k which is a significant drop.

hopefully deaths start to follow suit and drop soon.

[Eddie]

2 hours ago, G STAR RAM said:

There are 30 countries on that list and the difference in death rate is 11 per 1 million.

Its really quite sad and pathetic making 'league tables' like that, but nothing less than I would expect from the Guardian.

Wasn't someone on here a few days ago crowing that the EU's source of vaccines was drying up because currently they only have the Pfizer vaccine and they are reducing their output temporarily, and we were therefore well out of it?

'Sad' and 'pathetic' comes in many forms.

[G STAR RAM]

11 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Wasn't someone on here a few days ago crowing that the EU's source of vaccines was drying up because currently they only have the Pfizer vaccine and they are reducing their output temporarily, and we were therefore well out of it?

'Sad' and 'pathetic' comes in many forms.

Yep, that was me, in response to the the people that had been slating our Government for not signing up to that programme...

[Eddie]

24 minutes ago, Sith Happens said:

proper mixed news day, awful that 1600 deaths recorded,  but positive news that positive tests 33k which is a significant drop.

hopefully deaths start to follow suit and drop soon.

End of January, I reckon, will see deaths start to fall again significantly - equally by then we will be down to below 10K a day new cases.

 

[Sith Happens]

Just now, Eddie said:

End of January, I reckon, will see deaths start to fall again significantly - equally by then we will be down to below 10K a day new cases.

 

yeah you expect it to be a couple of weeks behind.