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Coronavirus - the new strain XX

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I started my undergrad studies in the soulless Aytoun Building. In second year we were moved to the All Saints Campus in Oxford Road.

I did my post grad study at the leafy Didsbury Campus.. where we were forced to work alongside the likes of Social Workers and other undesirables.
Despite at least 5 minutes of research.. I'm unable to get a clear picture of what is left of it. It was a pleasant place. I even managed to fit in the odd lunchtime swim... on the ground floor...

A year or so after I qualified.. one of of the Dip CG. Lecturers turned up in the offices of St Helens Career Services just as I was passing through reception. As we shot mutual glances of recognition across the floor.. like something out of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.. he said: "Still getting away with it then?"
Quick as a flash I retorted "Shhhhhsshh! I told them you prepared me for this job... I won't drop you in it..."

I never saw him again.
 
davidsrsb said:
Birmingham had an uncompleted roof top pool as well. Maybe the same architect?
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During my time at Birmingham there was (still there?) the exceedingly ugly "brutalist" Muirhead tower, complete with rather alarming Paternoster lift system (Paternoster lift - Wikipedia).

Back on topic, looks like my father-in-law may have Covid for the 2nd time. Not good for a 75 year old, unvaccinated, morbidly obese, COPD suffering male!
 
gary1064 said:
During my time at Birmingham there was (still there?) the exceedingly ugly "brutalist" Muirhead tower, complete with rather alarming Paternoster lift system (Paternoster lift - Wikipedia).

Back on topic, looks like my father-in-law may have Covid for the 2nd time. Not good for a 75 year old, unvaccinated, morbidly obese, COPD suffering male!
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Oh, rough. Hope he’s ok. He made it through the first bout, so here’s hoping the second is easier.
 
TheDecameron said:
I think the whole Covid experience has been very disturbing. I know we can rationalise it but it still creeps up on you subconsciously. I certainly feel more irritable, pessimistic and watchful. God knows what it’s like for people already under stress, living alone, couped up with small kids and no money. The Olympic Games has been a blessed relief- cause for hope.
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Good article on why the current period may be especially challenging, emotionally, and especially likely to spark bad tempered exchanges:

https://www.statnews.com/2021/08/02...covid-will-be-a-long-war-sparks-anger-denial/
 
gary1064 said:
During my time at Birmingham there was (still there?) the exceedingly ugly "brutalist" Muirhead tower, complete with rather alarming Paternoster lift system (Paternoster lift - Wikipedia).

Back on topic, looks like my father-in-law may have Covid for the 2nd time. Not good for a 75 year old, unvaccinated, morbidly obese, COPD suffering male!
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When I worked at the Kellogg’s plant in Trafford Park doing menial work in the holidays in the 60s they had a “ man lift”. It was like a paternoster but with just a continuous belt with handles and footholds that went to the fifth floor. On more than one occasion I had to leap off as it neared the top because I had almost nodded off.
 
My cousin went to a university with a Paternoster lift. She tells the tale that above the top floor, where the lift starts to turn over, somebody had scrawled on the wall 'You are now about to die!'.

Obviously, there were also the numerous tales of students taking a ride over the top, just for the hell of it.
 
We had a Paternoster in the physics department at IC. I used it but I always wondered about how safe it was.
 
Paternoster in the Claremont Tower when I was at Newcastle University. There were fatalities, as I remember it, and by report, gory.
 
Sue Pertwee-Tyr said:
Obviously, there were also the numerous tales of students taking a ride over the top, just for the hell of it.
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Did any of them have the wit, athleticism and balance necessary to swiftly do a headstand while they were out of sight and freak out the folk who saw them coming back down? I heard a rumour of someone doing this once, but the story was never corroborated.
 
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Seanm said:
Good article on why the current period may be especially challenging, emotionally, and especially likely to spark bad tempered exchanges:
https://www.statnews.com/2021/08/02...covid-will-be-a-long-war-sparks-anger-denial/
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I've thought about this a lot recently and I'm ambivalent about which would have been better psychologically, in terms of beliefs this time last year:

a) that COVID would be a multi-year, possibly decade long fight with many victories and retreats along the way.
b) that if we got successful vaccines and rolled them out then herd immunity would cause the virus to rapidly fade into the background.

I think most folks probably thought along the lines of b - which is why current news is particularly disheartening. However, how would people have reacted had experts primed us for outcome a) from the start ? I wonder if we adapt better to adversity when we face it gradually, rather than all at once ? Maybe there isn't a right answer.

I also think that the right answer to the above, and peoples' reactions will be vastly different for young, healthy, but financially fragile folks facing a prolonged loss of income versus the (more represented in this thread) older, financially secure, but physically more fragile folks.

It's a tremendous shame that this had to transpire at a time when the US and UK had the worst governments in living memory. At least the US had turned a bit of a corner in that regard, but I'm very wary about the mid terms and 2024.
 
Tony L said:
Yikes, that’s not a great figure.
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No it isn't, and we have a few more days of the number of deaths rising.

Hopefully starting to reduce thereafter, if it follows the pattern seen in all previous waves.

88.7% of adults vaccinated at least once is good news, as is 73% of adults vaccinated with 2 doses.
 
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