Chess Covid regulations poll

[NickFaulks]

No.

Then you actually mean yes. I am an adult, responsible for my own decisions. The next time I play against a teenager, I shall be fully aware that I am taking a very small risk of catching Covid. I'm sure I take very small risks all the time. That is my choice and it is tragic that a generation of young people has been indoctrinated into believing that they must feel the weight of guilt on their shoulders. That is one thing they should leave to their elders.

[Joseph Conlon]

No. Its for their own peace of mind. The idea of having potentially infected/killed people is really not a remotely fun thing to live with.

Is this something that has ever not been the case though? The annual death tolls from respiratory viruses are well known and I think it would be unhealthy as a society to suggest that the young (or anyone) should not go out lest they transmit respiratory viruses which - every year - kill (at least) thousands of people.

Unless one is advocating a return to March 2020 levels of lockdown, then basically everyone in the country is going to have to fight off the Delta variant by the end of the year, either through vaccination or natural antibodies.

[NickFaulks]

By the way, does option 3 actually make sense? We won't find out what maximises participation until we try it ( although I know which way I would bet ).

[Matt Bridgeman]

I’ve got a 15 year old who doesn’t want to play over the board until the case rate goes right down.

The risk to herself is minimal, so I assume she is sacrificing her chess for the benefit of people like me. It is a generous act but I really, really wish she wouldn't. Our young people have suffered enough and need to get their lives back.

Well it is for her peace of mind. She’s old enough to voice an opinion and make choices like that, which I respect. She’s certainly big on mask wearing, but as pointed out by Whitty and Vallance recently, masks more protect you spreading particles to other people, than the other way around. I’d agree the risk of death is minimal, but I don’t think you can say the risk overall is minimal as the question of Long Covid isn’t resolved by any means and we’re about to see a ridiculous amount of Covid rip though the country in the summer. I’d say it’s still unpredictable what happens in summer, and what goes on to happen this winter.

[NickFaulks]

Well it is for her peace of mind. She’s old enough to voice an opinion and make choices like that, which I respect.

Fair enough. I just hope she understands that in my own peer group there are people who really want to play and others who are less keen, but I do not know a single one who does not wish to see juniors fully back to the board as soon as possible.

[MartinCarpenter]

No. Its for their own peace of mind. The idea of having potentially infected/killed people is really not a remotely fun thing to live with.

Is this something that has ever not been the case though? The annual death tolls from respiratory viruses are well known and I think it would be unhealthy as a society to suggest that the young (or anyone) should not go out lest they transmit respiratory viruses which - every year - kill (at least) thousands of people.

Yes to some degree.

I'd imagine that the big worry for people is the next few months - with how we're apparently timing it, the infection rates are going to get massively high well before the vaccination is there to have everybody safe. There's enough unprotected groups that deaths will spike up quite a bit.

Unless one is advocating a return to March 2020 levels of lockdown, then basically everyone in the country is going to have to fight off the Delta variant by the end of the year, either through vaccination or natural antibodies.

I don't see any real chance of returning to a really hard lockdown - the extant vaccination levels will have pushed the benefit/harm calculation far over towards harm. Even if it gets really quite bad we'll likely just have to lump it.
(Unless the vaccines stop working.).

There was always going to be damage coming out of things, it was a matter of timing. Coming out with every other Government in the UK - even the DUP - going 'well have a look at things in August' isn't precisely reassuring.

On a practical basis, coming out one month before the isolation rules get scrapped strikes me as broadly unworkable.

[Joseph Conlon]

Fair enough. I just hope she understands that in my own peer group there are people who really want to play and others who are less keen, but I do not know a single one who does not wish to see juniors fully back to the board as soon as possible.

While I am definitely on the side of opening up, and have put my organisational time where my mouth is, many parents are nervous about their children (including primary-age children) playing OTB chess at the moment. My opinion is that the risks to children are minimal and that 'long covid' will just be another name for the type of post-viral fatigue that is an unavoidable risk from being a socially active member of the species - but others judge the balance of risks differently, and I think organisers should not be too dogmatic that any one approach is clearly correct.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Also, what about people who have not been vaccinated for valid health reasons? I assume you would let them play, although that is not logical. Would you say "ah, tell us more about your medical condition"?"

A fair point. I have encountered people with in-built insulin pumps or heart devices who have to name their illness as both bits of technology might make a noise and sound like a phone...

[Matt Bridgeman]

Certainly you only see sporadic mentions of Long Covid in the various news feeds. There was one on Sky’s this morning;

‘Rising cases could have devastating' long COVID effect on younger people

Warnings have been raised by David Strain, a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter, about rising COVID infections.

He said allowing younger people to get infected through increasing cases could have a "devastating long-term effect" in terms of long Covid.

Dr Strain, who who has participated in the NHS long COVID taskforce, told LBC radio between 10% and 15% of all people with coronavirus develop long COVId.

He said what was currently happening was a "dangerous experiment with the next generation".

Dr Strain added: "It is a fact that the more COVID, the more long COVID, and the big worry is this is affecting the younger generation that the entire country is dependent on to get the country moving again."’

[Mick Norris]

Well said Martin. I've been puzzled as to why the mental health impact of bereavement has been downplayed by so many during the pandemic.

That's because in my experience, people aren't very good about dealing with those who have been bereaved; that's why I've always found fellow widows and widowers easier to talk with than those of you fortunate not to have the experience

[NickFaulks]

On a practical basis, coming out one month before the isolation rules get scrapped strikes me as broadly unworkable.

We can at least agree on that, although I would use a harsher term.

[MartinCarpenter]

On a practical basis, coming out one month before the isolation rules get scrapped strikes me as broadly unworkable.

We can at least agree on that, although I would use a harsher term.

I was trying to be polite

Seriously though, with the projected infection rates they're basically saying 'go and mix in crowds then spend 10 days at home'. Tempting?!!?

[Colin Purdon]

I voted "Maximise participation" for the simple reasons that it means more people would be playing chess, and that it would make the tournaments more viable for the hard-working organisers.

However, if it is intended as a neutral option I am not sure it achieves that purpose because it is not clear to me whether maximum participation would be achieved by equalising the concerns of the two sides, or by leaning towards one side or the other.

[John Upham]

Well said Martin. I've been puzzled as to why the mental health impact of bereavement has been downplayed by so many during the pandemic.

I lost one cousin, one Aunt and one Uncle during the pandemic. The Aunt and Uncle were both Covid-19 related. I was permitted to attend one funeral out of three only.

[J T Melsom]

John, sorry to hear that, and there are no doubt many others for whom the restrictions on funeral attendance have made the grieving process more difficult. I'd rather not be drawn into details on the effectiveness of responses to the pandemic. My original observation was intended in a very specific way - my sense that the debate around mental health and the pandemic seemed to be focussed elsewhere than the rather brutal reality of death.