Absolutely - so... ... the experts say how long the virus lives on different types of surface. The problem ISN'T just human contact is it? - things passed between humans can carry the virus for a period of time. So by inference isn't it a given that anything touched can potentially carry the virus?
A Dr on the TV (BBC Breakfast) today was actually asked this question about mail. The person said:
'...I currently quarantine letters for a couple of days...'
the Dr said
'...we don't know how long the virus survives on different materials, so you're better off opening the letter, emptying the contents and binning the envelope - then washing your hands for 20 seconds...'
All paraphrased.
Now I don't know how many people here treat 'stuff' from outside as potentially infected and follow the handwashing protocol - but I bet there will be a large proportion of the 13 million that won't.
Then there's the stuff you bring home from the supermarket.
Everybody, whether a bus passenger or not, has a right to an opinion - particularly if it is based on the view of whichever expert that they wish to believe.
Of course if Royal Mail hadn't been sold off it wouldn't have cost so much. I imagine there will be information in there to direct people to sources of information in other languages or braile or whatever they need.
I wish people would stop buying in to the war comparisons though. It's just pandering to Trump's propaganda that he's a 'war time' president which he thinks will gain him more votes.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Not sure what your point is - are you saying that people who couldn't potentially understand a broadcast from Boris could read a letter? Or will non-english speakers be passing a potentially infected piece of bumf to others to get it translated?
As most people here know I'm no apologist for Boris 😠 ... What I'm saying is that for some people it will help to establish the extreme seriousness of the situation ... and they will have written words that they can study, show to their children who can read English, put into Google Translate or whatever. Before I retired part of my work was with marginalised groups in society ... if you've not worked in that area it is sometimes hard to fathom the way they receive and disseminate information ... I know that when I started in that line of work I was surprised ... and I'd previously worked in a field where communication/marketing/public perception was key.
And the important thing is, we do have to get the message across, even to the terminally stupid or most extremely marginalised ... because they are the weak link.
And the Postmen/women and Sorting Offices around here are using sanitised gloves and taking all the precautions they can ... and we have been asked to sanitise our letterboxes regularly.
And as for quarantining and sanitising post that comes through letterboxes ... we've been doing it for over a fortnight, before anyone else mentioned it. The shopping that OH did on Monday (queuing 4 metres behind the person in front because of the wind direction) was all decanted on the doorstep into containers that were already in the house ... even the ready-bagged potatoes ... and the carrots that came from the loosefill on the SM shelves were individually washed/scrubbed and dried ... all jars, packets and tins were also quarantined and then sanitised as best he could. I've not been further than my garden other than in the car to drive OH to the shops since 5 March. Then I sat in the car and he did the shopping as my vulnerability is thought to be higher than his because I'm quite a bit older.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Does "scrutiny" involve Laura Cuenssberg who I heard someone on the BBC radio describe as a journalistic "goddess" the other day, standing in front of number 10 bellowing at the top of her voice "do you think that you are handling this crisis well?" Does it involve a BBC reporter asking government ministers about the government bailout regarding the self employed "how does this help non contract workers?" being told that non contract workers were addressed in the earlier measures regarding business. Get the facts right BBC and stop trying to score points!
As was said "Once you have seen one pandemic, you have seen one pandemic". It's easy to have 20/20 vision in hindsight isn't it?
So you're saying to express the seriousness of the situation (which everyone, who has an interent connection, will know before the letter arrives - because the letter has been published all over the place anyway ) you have to put the public at further risk? Isnt that just slightly nonsensical?
Edited to add:
Good grief - sanitised gloves. This is true - and shows my low moral threshold as well - I was in a SM on Friday and the stackers all had gloves on. As I walked past one - the lad had a cough and put his hand over his mouth - in any other time a commendable act - but he then continued to stack shelves. Gloves mean nothing if other protocols aren't followed. And it's not just one person who touches a letter is it? How many points of contact - a man sneezes on a sorting machine, a lass packs a postie's bag, a media company prints the letter and someone touches their machines and potentially handles the letter and envelope...how many points of contact do you think there are?
And I'm glad you're being sensible - but look back on this thread and see how many people had a go when I said about quarantining shopping - and assuming that the virus was everywhere (outside of your known safe zone) - then think how many of the 13 million WON'T be sensible - or using your example aren't aware of the seriousness of the situation and don't even think about simple things like that.
The 'shouting questions' at politicians isn't new or peculiar to the BBC as far as I'm aware.
All journalists try to 'score points' - they want that unguarded comment - they want that scoop. And yes, journalists, like the whole human population make mistakes.
As for the pandemic, that is why govt's have strategies - they model and plan for eventualities like wars and pandemics. That is what they are there for isn't it? IE no point building HS2, if people stop travelling by train is it? So a govt must always be looking to the future. So to model a pandemic in 2016 and then not implement the findings may be a cause for concern. It then isn't hindsight either is it? Wasn't it foresight in 2016?
Oddly, back last year (or maybe the year before - I don't have the year on my recording) the BBC had a programme called Contagion where the point was to model a pandemic as well. I have it on my to watch list. Be interesting to see what conclusions they came to.
@steveTu ... No I'm not saying that ... if you really think that the postal service is putting the public at risk then perhaps the postal service should be stopped for the duration? And if you believe that's what I said then it just goes to show that the message you intend doesn't always get across to everyone.
Believe it or not there are still people who don't have access to the internet. I know of several ... of course, before all this they would have used the service at the public library ... but ...
As I said, I'm no apologist for this government, but I do believe that the agencies who are handling bulk mail shots of this nature are aware of the seriousness of the situation ... as I said, I know the Royal Mail and the posties are, and are taking every precaution they can.
I've recently received my new Tax Code notice via the postal service ... maybe that should've been stopped as well.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I don't know what's in this letter that everyone is getting so irate about, if it contains the usual thing that government post out about I would agree that it is a waste of money, however has anyone considered that business and in fact governments sometime have to put thing in writing to cover the legalities of a situation? I'm not saying that this is the case but until I see the letter I won't make my mind up.
Posts
Everybody, whether a bus passenger or not, has a right to an opinion - particularly if it is based on the view of whichever expert that they wish to believe.
And the important thing is, we do have to get the message across, even to the terminally stupid or most extremely marginalised ... because they are the weak link.
And the Postmen/women and Sorting Offices around here are using sanitised gloves and taking all the precautions they can ... and we have been asked to sanitise our letterboxes regularly.
And as for quarantining and sanitising post that comes through letterboxes ... we've been doing it for over a fortnight, before anyone else mentioned it. The shopping that OH did on Monday (queuing 4 metres behind the person in front because of the wind direction) was all decanted on the doorstep into containers that were already in the house ... even the ready-bagged potatoes ... and the carrots that came from the loosefill on the SM shelves were individually washed/scrubbed and dried ... all jars, packets and tins were also quarantined and then sanitised as best he could. I've not been further than my garden other than in the car to drive OH to the shops since 5 March. Then I sat in the car and he did the shopping as my vulnerability is thought to be higher than his because I'm quite a bit older.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Does it involve a BBC reporter asking government ministers about the government bailout regarding the self employed "how does this help non contract workers?" being told that non contract workers were addressed in the earlier measures regarding business. Get the facts right BBC and stop trying to score points!
As was said "Once you have seen one pandemic, you have seen one pandemic". It's easy to have 20/20 vision in hindsight isn't it?
Believe it or not there are still people who don't have access to the internet. I know of several ... of course, before all this they would have used the service at the public library ... but ...
As I said, I'm no apologist for this government, but I do believe that the agencies who are handling bulk mail shots of this nature are aware of the seriousness of the situation ... as I said, I know the Royal Mail and the posties are, and are taking every precaution they can.
I've recently received my new Tax Code notice via the postal service ... maybe that should've been stopped as well.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.