Penguin68

The side effects reported by others (mine were relatively mild and short lived - but consistent with these reports) suggest that the vaccine is kicking the body into its defence mechanisms (as is wanted) - it would seem that the harder the body is already working to cope with illness the more marked this might be. Many vaccines do have side effects - some at least as excessive as those reported for both the Pfizer and the AZ shots. Some (malaria) more so. Follow the advice of your GPs/ specialists - if they believe it is safe for you to take the vaccine, do so.

A separate Covid section made good sense - but this is already one for issues specific to East Dulwich, of which crime clearly is one. It is the section (I would guess) most frequently visited/ book marked - and thus a good one to alert people to current crime issues. Not infrequently posts may also be about things that might be crimes (knockers) but may also just be about something scary or annoying. [Clowns, for those with memories]. Discussion about crime more generally is something for The Lounge.

I really think people are not taking the severity of this virus seriously enough. I'm not sure you're entirely right there - (of course there are some who are deniers, but most I think do know that it can be awful) - but people are now prepared to take the risks they think are appropriate for them - of course some are getting this wrong. But for most young people (under 40) the disease will be mild if it's even noticeable - at worst like a relatively mild and short lived dose of flu. As you get older, or have other underlying conditions, your likelihood of severe, and indeed fatal, infection increases, and your level of caution with it. As those in the most vulnerable groups become vaccine protected, the risks of getting it yourself without going on to infect others in much worse ways is diminishing - and thus more and more the risks you take are (almost) just for you. What I do not understand is those in risk groups who are not taking up their vaccine offers - which seems mad - but again, they are adults taking a risk based decision. Once bad decisions become those that impact only you - then I'm diffident about enforcing 'rules' where only the rule breaker suffers. We aren't, of course, quite there yet, but we will (in the grand scheme of things) soon be.

The only truth here is that it is genetically modified. Which is the way you make this ad ort of vaccine. The rest is anti vaxer rubbish or distortion.

I imagine their Pfizer deliveries are now earmarked for second vaccinations, and AZ has a much longer shelf life. But it can't harm to ask.

Social isolation, both of parents/ carers and children is taking a terrible toll for many, and the long term damage may be significant. For most people of child bearing age, and/ or children, the disease even when caught is mild, and may not even be noticeable. And its impact may be far less than the mental damage caused by isolation. If the parents/ carers are keeping a 2 metre distance, in the open, that is likely to be fine, mask wearing or not. And it is, broadly, their risk, particularly as so many who are at high(er) risk are becoming protected by vaccines. By w/c March 8th all top 4 tiers (who chose to be vaccinated) will be 22 days or so into their cover, and hence will be covered (probably).

In some ways it's quite reassuring that there's such a mixed economy here - with different procedures and many being offered vaccines from different groups of vaccinators - if one route fails, however temporarily, there's always another. And presumably over time the most effective routines will become clear. Booking a 2nd vaccination at the time of the first, or both together, look good to me, at the moment, but maybe each will be as effective as the other. What will be interesting is recovery procedures if for any reason you can't make your second booked slot. But at the moment the combination of hospitals, the NHS centrally, and GP surgeries to offer vaccines seems effective. Fingers crossed this perception continues to be valid.

They may give either, we had AZ but an earlier poster had Pfizer. I'm guessing AZ is most likely for a first vaccine as Pfizer stocks will be being prioritised on 2nd vaccine patients, as there may be shortages.

The news reports huge (comparatively) lack of take-up in London, as certain groups are invited but choose not to come. It makes no sense for facilities to sit idle (or Pfizer vaccines to go off) - so I'm not surprised if 'early' jabs are being offered. As the intention is to vaccinate down to age 18, eventually, and certainly to 50 by May, people may be getting it early, but not who otherwise would never get it. What really upsets me is to read about low take-up amongst front-line health professionals, in hospitals and care homes. Who were all (or almost all) offered the vaccine in the very first waves. This even includes hospital doctors, I heard on R4 this morning.

Floating a tennis ball in an icy pond, before it freezes of course, will help keep an air pocket.

The blue and green bins are picked up on alternate weeks by the same crews. The brown/ kitchen waste crews are different.

Yeah there?s a few roads in ED that are now main rat runs compared to previously, the problem?s just moved to other people?s streets since the LTNs. If you close off most east west traffic and funnel it all into the South Circular you will find that this traffic has to use very few roads to get to the South Circular - hence Underhill - where I live - is now regularly jammed in the evenings (when we aren't in lock down). This isn't about 'rat runs' - its about intentional funnelling of traffic into very few (and by no means arterial or main) roads. If anything, these are 'local councillor runs'.

Those you want to encourage more rat running 'rat running' - which is a pretty vile term, by the way - generally refers to commuters, in rush hours, travelling through an area and using side and suburban streets to avoid traffic queues. I suggest that now, and even before the last full lock-down, there are far fewer through commuters - and this is likely to continue as work patterns change irrevocably in the future. 'Rat runners' were understood to be non-locals - and thus of course to be despised. Other than e.g. deliveries and service vehicles (which are to our benefit) the majority of traffic being caught by these restrictions is very possibly local, or pretty local, to Dulwich. So less, perhaps, rat runners than our close neighbours. Obviously not living in our lovely streets which must be protected from such trash, but still our neighbours. Or are our neighbours, but not of course living in our lovely and gated streets, rats?

This is the first disruption to collections (for me at least) since the start of the first lockdown - I know that numbers of Veolia staff have been ill or have had to self-isolate because of vulnerable people they live with - current reports suggest 30% of staff are ill or isolating. Most crews are substantially changed since the start of this emergency, but they continue to do a not very nice but exceedingly necessary job. And do it, from my experience at least, with good grace. With iced roads and slippery conditions Tuesday was treacherous, I'm not surprised they stopped working. Once a bin lorry starts to slide on our hills they can become exceedingly dangerous. And the pavements were like skating rinks in some parts, where they weren't treated.

Wonder if such trees are derived from cuttings, like apple trees. Specific and named varieties will, as cloning is the way to achieve this, and it's also a very quick way to propagate - new varieties will be grown from seed (from specific crosses). Hazels also throw root suckers - and are very easy to strike from cuttings. Twisted (Corkscrew) Hazels are grafted onto normal hazel root stocks. They are of course naturalised by cob nuts being planted by birds and squirrels as food storage.

What you have to remember is that there are thousands, possibly tens of thousands of hazelnuts which haven't started to grow. For, probably, everyone that has (unless spefically planted by a horticulturist.

Masks?

The vaccination roll out is looking great at the moment, and the possibilities are that things will be massively improving shortly and perhaps as early as Easter for a significant easing of the lock down. This will lead (a) to an increase in road traffic and road usage as people start to travel again and (b) a reduction in the needs to create a 'safe (i.e. with a capacity for huge distancing) environment for pedestrians. So many of the pedestrian inspired restrictions now placed on roads will not be needed for pedestrians to be able to use pavements safely - and the impact of diverted traffic onto a few roads will become more marked as air quality plummets for those living, working and walking on those roads. I wonder how quickly, when things are back to normal (or as close as they will ever be) will the council move to restore roads and parts of roads now sealed off for the benefit of pedestrians who will no longer need, or use, such benefits?

Even with the new more transmissible variant someone passing you quickly in the open, even with less than a 2 metre gap is unlikely (though it's not impossible)to pass on the virus - but it is a courtesy to give proper gaps as a reassurance, even where that may not be clinically necessary. The level of viral load (how much virus is there) seems important in transmission, and in breezy outdoor conditions this will be low with quickly passing strangers.

Given that Covid infection is transmitted by breathing in minute airborne particles of virus It can also be caught by transfer - hence the emphasis on hand-washing. The wearing of (non NHS) masks is as much (if not more) to protect others from your airborne particles (which they may then convey to their noses/ mouths through transfer) than to protect you. Whilst blocking the nose may certainly help, it will not by any means block all routes. Social distancing, mask wearing in indoor/ enclosed spaces, hand washing and, when available to you, the vaccine is your surest protection.

Should of got my Vaccine weeks ago. You are getting your vaccine on Thursday, from what you posted, and you would qualify I think in Tier 4 - with over 70s and those under 70 who are severely at risk (although I think that should mainly be those required to self isolate). Those were promised a first vaccine by mid February - which you will be getting. Those ahead of you were those in Care Homes, much older or who are front-line health workers, including those working in Care Homes. My reference to 'out of sequence' is to those who wouldn't have qualified in the first 6 Tiers but who were available to use up a deteriorating vaccine that would otherwise have been wasted. But who would have been vaccinated at some time.

Which suggests (come that day) they had Pfizer spare which would have had to be junked otherwise. Better to vaccinate out of sequence than to throw the vaccine away.

Adders are vipers Though plus-adders are early calculators...

This is not a bad time to close (when you have other branches open, some quite close). Footfall is still limited (with couples discouraged to shop together) and purchasers tend not to browse, but are more purposeful. Getting the shop in good order before the brakes are released (assuming they ever will be) would be a good plan. Opening in good time for Easter, with the discretionary spend on eggs and flowers etc. an opportunity that season brings, would be a good strategy, if it can be achieved.

Someone may be medically exempt from mask wearing, but not from bringing their own cup with them, or indeed their own thermos. And there are many repair etc jobs where mask wearing is an H&S requirement outwith any Covid issues. This person should not be being employed in this sort of role if they will not employ proper protection. Your landlord should be ensuring that workmen employed by them are working safely.