International News Covid-19 .....

[MalaysiaYellow]

Here in Malaysia we also have the option of returning to the office, but for my employer 90% have said they want to continue WFH.

But what you have to consider is:

The office will change from what it use to be. "Social" areas are gone, everything is one way, arrows to minimise contact. Masks have to be worn when not sat at your seat. Also, only 4 people allowed in the lift. So our office, after reviewed by the Government can only have maximum 40% capacity until Covid 19 is gone.

You also need to think about transportation. Here in Asia a lot of people now refuse to take public transportation due to close contact. Also some trains, buses etc have to run on reduced capacity.

There are so many other factors to consider as well.

 

[m]

Do you actually enjoy working from home though? My missus is working from our kitchen at the moment (and I am still considering charging her company rent) and while she enjoys the shorter hours due to no travel time she misses seeing people, to the extent that she is desperate enough to chat my ears off when I get home from working all over, she says she would prefer a couple of days at work and 3 at home if she had a choice.

Yup. This is exactly what I hear!

 

[MarkG]

Do you actually enjoy working from home though? My missus is working from our kitchen at the moment (and I am still considering charging her company rent) and while she enjoys the shorter hours due to no travel time she misses seeing people, to the extent that she is desperate enough to chat my ears off when I get home from working all over, she says she would prefer a couple of days at work and 3 at home if she had a choice.

Or "living at work". One of my FB friends said 10 years ago she was working in a call centre and they used to ask "Would you rather X or Y" questions to each other.
One was "Would you rather live at work or die?"

 

[outsidethebox]

Do you actually enjoy working from home though?

A really good question. I suspect it depends on the person, the job and the circumstances.

My wife has been running her own business from home for 10 years and it suits her. She hates commuting time and hated being an employee in a larger firm. Her contracts are all time critical so she works solidly then takes breaks of a week or a month or maybe the whole summer off. She much prefers it to 9-5. The other key point is she has a home office so it doesn't affect other areas of the house. That would be a nightmare.

 

[Oxt1]

To add my penny worth to the do you like working from home, for those of us with children of school age and particularly primary school age it has had the added element of doing teaching with them at the same time, which especially for those such as myself and the good wife who are full time employed and working from home 100% it has been challenging. Very difficult doing analysis work when you are likely to be interrupted at any moment to be asked to explain some maths term that you haven't had to think about in nearly 25 years or more often 'can I have something to eat?'

But like most a mix of a couple of days a week in the office and the rest working from home would be my ideal (preferably with the kids at school where somebody who knows what they are talking about is looking after their education!!!)

 

[outsidethebox]

To add my penny worth to the do you like working from home, for those of us with children of school age and particularly primary school age it has had the added element of doing teaching with them at the same time, which especially for those such as myself and the good wife who are full time employed and working from home 100% it has been challenging. Very difficult doing analysis work when you are likely to be interrupted at any moment to be asked to explain some maths term that you haven't had to think about in nearly 25 years or more often 'can I have something to eat?'

But like most a mix of a couple of days a week in the office and the rest working from home would be my ideal (preferably with the kids at school where somebody who knows what they are talking about is looking after their education!!!)

Very good point re kids. Mine are at secondary and have pretty much looked after themselves. I've only got involved after they've contacted their teacher and he or she hasn't helped. Those with younger kids at home have had it really tough.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

Having worked at home for many years, I think the trick is (if you can) to keep office hours, have a separate room that you can shut the door on and 'leave' for the day, have a 'work phone' that you turn off etc. If people *do* contact you out of hours (unless it is an emergency) hear them out and then say you'll get onto it in the morning (I often ask them to email me - supposedly to 'remind' me but actually to get them used to emailing rather than calling: and it's always good to have a paper trail!). Also (not so easy in the current situation) make sure to replace the office circle of friends with others.

I really enjoy working at home (and being my own boss!) - I hated commuting (waste of time and money), found some of the people senior to me to be frankly useless and have a full social life (in normal times).

 

[Sarge]

In the main Ive been working from home for some years now, venturing out to do photoshoots, face to face interviews and covering various shows, events and happenings.
As well a spinning rare soul and funk off original vinyl releases at venues across the UK and mainland Europe
which has, for obvious reasons, dried up over the past months of lockdown

Me kids all flew the nest years ago, so the lockdown at least workwise wasn't a lot different to what I'm used to
though Im missing the DJ work and interacting with people at various gatherings

Quite like working from home as its so much easier to manage my time ...and workloads
If needs must (deadlines looming) I can work as long and late as is needed. Another work from home bonus is I can keep up to date with sport events that interest me , such as test cricket, while working

 

[Essexyellows]

Stats & Graphs locally................... in the West of the City its good ......... to the East it remains "problematic"..

 

[Cx]

Rolling 7-day average now higher than when we first went into lockdown, I believe. R rate could be over 1 in some places as well. Current measures in place should stem the spread somewhat, but it's still a worrying trend. We can't afford to get complacent and should take lesson from elsewhere: s**t can go south very quickly.

Thanks for the data and continued updates EY, always very interesting.

 

[holdsteady]

Rolling 7-day average now higher than when we first went into lockdown, I believe. R rate could be over 1 in some places as well. Current measures in place should stem the spread somewhat, but it's still a worrying trend. We can't afford to get complacent and should take lesson from elsewhere: s**t can go south very quickly.

Thanks for the data and continued updates EY, always very interesting.

It’s also the lowest Saturday death rate (55) since lockdown started. The infection rate is rising, not that dramatically, but the rate of deaths is going down (again slowly). Might be because we are testing far more people, might be because it’s mostly young people catching it (as it’s mostly young people socially mixing without regard) and it’s not particularly dangerous for them.

 

[Gary Baldi]

This is an interesting review of COVID perception vs reality

Certainly a case of media hysteria out stripping what is perhaps the reality of COVID

 

[m]

This is an interesting review of COVID perception vs reality
View attachment 4267
Certainly a case of media hysteria out stripping what is perhaps the reality of COVID

A grim summary though - when you see how low the number of confirmed or modelled cases actually is, it brings home how far there is to go.

The second column, well, the numbers are easily accessible, not really any excuse for that other than ignorance.

 

[Gary Baldi]

A grim summary though - when you see how low the number of confirmed or modelled cases actually is, it brings home how far there is to go.

The second column, well, the numbers are easily accessible, not really any excuse for that other than ignorance.

But also an interesting context to some of the agitators out there in the media that they have oversold the initial issue too and had people far more worried than the reality is. COVID is here to stay, but the perspective on the virus has been lost.

The US has 20 times less infections that people think there has been - a phenomenally high difference

 

[m]

But also an interesting context to some of the agitators out there in the media that they have oversold the initial issue too and had people far more worried than the reality is. COVID is here to stay, but the perspective on the virus has been lost.

The US has 20 times less infections that people think there has been - a phenomenally high difference

Back to the old debate on media influence: Does it reflect or shape public view? Is the same true of politics and pandemics? (Buggered if I know)

It is a phenomenally high difference - no arguments there. But why? Is it because the disease is less infectious than 'we' believe or because we are, to a large extent, 'doing the right thing' and containing it?

 

[Essexyellows]

As I may have posted previously.............. It can not move. We move it.

If (big if) we do the sensible things.... distancing, masks and wash your hands....... then it will reduce in the community.

Where people ignore that it will spread.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

Reports from my mum and mother-in-law (who both live near the coast on different sides of the country) indicate that the great British unwashed are thronging ant like and abandoning all pretence of taking any care at all once they get there. One friend of my mum's (who lives IN the affected town) asked one person why they weren't wearing a mask, only to be told 'Nah, we've come down here to get away from all that." Locals are staying in and driving to shops away from the town. Public loos are not open.

 

[werthersoriginal]

Reports from my mum and mother-in-law (who both live near the coast on different sides of the country) indicate that the great British unwashed are thronging ant like and abandoning all pretence of taking any care at all once they get there. One friend of my mum's (who lives IN the affected town) asked one person why they weren't wearing a mask, only to be told 'Nah, we've come down here to get away from all that." Locals are staying in and driving to shops away from the town. Public loos are not open.

Bet you any amount that most of the maskless visitors are Brexiter types

 

[holdsteady]

Bet you any amount that most of the maskless visitors are Brexiter types

Most of them are young, the young voted to remain so the law of averages makes it likely that they are remainers?

 

[Scotchegg]

Most of them are young, the young voted to remain so the law of averages makes it likely that they are remainers?

If there was ever anything to come out of Brexit and Covid, it is that stupid, selfishness and ignorance are equal opportunities traits! They cover all demographics!!!