Physical Distancing

[Drakon]

Interesting piece about physical distancing on RTÉ’s 9pm news last night.
Some lab demonstrating the passage of respiratory droplets using a high speed camera.
When the subject was breathing normally(through the nose with mouth closed), droplets came out of the nose at a speed and trajectory which would have them land on the ground no more than 2 metres away.
When the subject coughed, the volume and speed of the droplets was much greater, and trajectory different, which would send the droplets much further.
With sneezing the speed is greater again, and the distance further.
No mention of joggers huffing and puffing and spitting. But the 2m limit seems to be an absolute minimum distance between people breathing normally.

 

[Eireog007]

That’s why we also have the guidelines in regards to coughing and sneezing into your elbow Dracula style. The 2 meter rule is just for people being near each other breathing normally.

 

[mtk]

I notice garda cars usually have 2 gardai in front -not sure how this meets social distancing requirements ?
Seeing checkpoints on tv and 1 in the flesh the gardai appear to encroach well within 2 metres of the occupants.

 

[Leo]

I notice garda cars usually have 2 gardai in front -not sure how this meets social distancing requirements ?

Those considered front-line staff obviously don't have to abide by the 2m rule when carrying out their duties.

 

[llgon]

I heard that the same gardai pair with each other all the time to limit the potential for contacts as much as possible

 

[mtk]

Those considered front-line staff obviously don't have to abide by the 2m rule when carrying out their duties.

doesn't mean they have immunity or they cannot spread it

 

[Leo]

doesn't mean they have immunity or they cannot spread it

I don't think anyone suggested that a uniform somehow granted immunity, it's a risk they are only too aware of given the percentage of front line staff who have contracted COVID-19 from their interactions with the public. The consistency of pairing assignments is the best they can do to reduce spread within their ranks while maintaining service.

 

[Drakon]

doesn't mean they have immunity or they cannot spread it

No, of course not. But if you’re frontline, you’re frontline.

 

[elacsaplau]

If someone shops in Lidl, he will spend quite a bit of time packing his bags in very close, unguarded proximity to the check-out operator. I mention Lidl intentionally because the checkout area in Tesco is substantially longer. In Lidl, the check-out glass-type barrier is placed in no-mans land in between where the shopping is placed on the conveyor belt and the tiny baggage area - in essence, the glass is in a place where nobody stands.

[I mentioned this to the check-out operator - "what can I do?" he replied...…."enumerate old themes", I thought (Yeats)]

The point is that this seems much more dangerous to me than someone filling up the car with Tesco-bought goods and making "the time to drive out west" (Heaney), and bunkering down.

Let's examine the Lidl scenario. If a single shopper has the virus, this shopper will spend a couple of minutes within one unprotected metre of the check-out operator. Eventually, the virus will jump here. Now, the checkout operator will be a carrier and may in turn be in sustained close proximity to hundreds of people before his condition is known. Thoughts?

 

[IsleOfMan]

elacsaplau. I thought the exact same thing. I was in Lidl last Friday week. I was keeping my distance from other shoppers. There were markings on the floor at checkout area making sure we were all 6' apart. Arrived at the pressure point, offloading messages from trolley, running up to the end beside cashier trying to pack the items in a very small space and put bags back in trolley. Taking cash out of pocket, taking change, taking receipt etc.
When I got home I realised that I was packing my goods within a couple of feet from a person who had no mask etc, It has made me think about my Lidl shop.

 

[SlurrySlump]

in essence, the glass is in a place where nobody stands.

I couldn't agree more. The glass area needs to be extended box like around the person on the till. But.....there is no room to do this. Lidl needs to rethink their whole bagging area. I love Lidl and do most of my shop there but I am reviewing my shopping habits with Lidle because of this.

 

[Drakon]

Any Lidl I’ve been in there’s a bagging area at the wall/window beyond the tills.
In those shops customers are meant to move their scanned purchases into their trolleys quickly, then move to the bagging counter for bagging after payment.

Anyway, there’s a 15 minute limit beyond which you’re likely to catch the bug. Or words to that effect.

 

[SlurrySlump]

In those shops customers are meant to move their scanned purchases into their trolleys quickly, then move to the bagging counter for bagging after payment.

But....your purchases are within an arm's length of the cashier......two feet maybe?

 

[Leper]

Hey Guys, If you don't like Lidl, don't shop there and let us who do not want to waste a good pandemic get on with our lives.

 

[michaelg]

Parks and walkers can also be problematic.

Two of us were out walking in our local park today and we go into single file and try to get 2 metres between us and any oncoming walkers. Most walkers and family's seem to be doing the same.

Except this one family of 4 (husband,wife and 2 kids) came towards us and made zero effort to keep their distance. i ended up standing about a metre off the road and my girlfriend at the side of the road in the grass while the family walked abreast and took up the whole road. I honestly felt like coughing in protest (but didn't).

I get a bit angered at this kind of behavior and feel like calling people out over it . Do folks here think Its worth confronting people over this ? EVERYONE has to take it seriously.

 

[messyleo]

I have found 70%+ of couples / families I pass when walking make ZERO effort to go single file, or in many cases to even mpve to one side of the path - even two abreast. Most of the time I have to walk a metre or two onto the road (checking for cars beforehand) and give them a glare but it has absolutely no impact! I am now considering approaching people and saying "would you mind moving aside to help keep a distance please" or something to that effect. Is it OTT??

 

[SlurrySlump]

Hey Guys, If you don't like Lidl, don't shop there and let us who do not want to waste a good pandemic get on with our lives.

Are you trying to close down this topic Leper? What is it with your one liner put downs?

For those of you interested in the Lidl situation, here is a comment from the company.

" we fully appreciate your concerns here and thank you for your feedback. We will be expanding the perspex screens soon in our stores to add to the measures already in place. We can assure you that we are constantly updating our safety measures in stores to ensure we are doing all that we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Please bear with us whilst we make these changes and we appreciate your understanding during this challenging time!"

 

[SlurrySlump]

Do folks here think Its worth confronting people over this ?

I certainly think that something should be said, it's just to get the wording right.

"Can we all share the footpath" "I shouldn't have to walk on the road" "Is it possible that we might all share the footpath" Under non Covid-19 situations.

The problem is that most footpaths are two people wide. Even if one person were to walk behind the other, when passing you are literally within two feet of the person you are passing, so one or other has to step out in to the road. You almost have to put up and shut up. The temptation is to pass a remark like "Do you people ever share the footpath with others" "Can I have some of the footpath" "Can you please be considerate to others" etc

 

[Leper]

Are you trying to close down this topic Leper? What is it with your one liner put downs?

For those of you interested in the Lidl situation, here is a comment from the company.I

" we fully appreciate your concerns here and thank you for your feedback. We will be expanding the perspex screens soon in our stores to add to the measures already in place. We can assure you that we are constantly updating our safety measures in stores to ensure we are doing all that we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Please bear with us whilst we make these changes and we appreciate your understanding during this challenging time!"

I'm not trying to close down any conversation. There is a time and place for everything. Lidl and all the other supermarkets are doing their best to keep the shelves stacked, the customer satisfied and anything else they can do to try and get to the other side of this dreadful killer virus. The least we can do is help them to help us.

I visit the supermarket once per week. All I want to do is get in and get out asap. I observe all the regulations. There are people hell bent on making this chore as difficult as possible. "You're not wearing a face mask" - "where's your plastic gloves" etc I hear from silly fanatics who suddenly have become the self styled health guardians of the land. They keep looking for what is wrong rather than what is right and impeding those who are doing their best not to spread the virus.

If you are not happy with what's going on in supermarkets during these times, don't go there and let us get on with the job.

 

[SlurrySlump]

The least we can do is help them to help us.

I agree and by approaching the company and pointing out a "weak point" in their service has helped them change the way they are offering their service. They are now extending their safety screens. This benefits both the customer and staff worker.

Unfortunately it is often left to others to point out these things rather than "All I want to do is get in and get out asap" type of attitude.