Do you not trust your school to do it right? I’m fully confident that my daughter’s school will do everything they possibly can to ensure social distancing though of course they will never be able to guarantee it 

Its not a matter of trust its peace of mind and as its my daughter I want to make sure I'm comfortable with the set up

As a Father I have every right to ask questions and view what's in place , to just say " no that's not possible " isn't good enough 

Unfortunately vitamin D top up from sunshine is insufficient for the body's actual daily requirement 

NHS website disagrees, saying that for most (sc white) people in the UK with a reasonable amount of outdoor exposure, you should be able to generate enough vitamin D during the months March - Sept. Health food sites of course play this down and try to sell you supplements.

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/how-to-get-vitamin-d-from-sunlight/

There is some argument that Caucasians managed to settle northern latitudes partly because of this, partly because the ability to break down lactose in milk is a genetic modification widespread in Caucasians, and milk is a good source of vit D. (If you can't break down lactose and drink milk, the bacteria in your gut have a field day, with distressing results). That argument is shaky, though, because the ability to break down lactose has also been found in a number of cattle-rearing societies in Africa and Asia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactose_intolerance#Epidemiology

Caz, here is the lady herself Prof JoAnn Manson - https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/930152

I've also seen a number of studies talking about the importance of gut microbiota in immune response. A few studies have pointed to the link between gut microbiota and response to respiratory illnesses. I'll dig em out if I get chance later.

Going well in France, I see... from the Tele's live feed:

Going well in France, I see... from the Tele's live feed:

French schools shut after child tests positive

Seven schools in the north-eastern French city of Roubaix have been forced to close after a child tested positive for Covid-19

French schools began to reopen last week as the country slowly eased its lockdown. But many were concerned about the move, with one poll showing 69 per cent of respondents thought authorities could not keep them safe.

Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer told French broadcaster RTL on Monday that 70 cases of the virus had been found in the roughly 40,000 schools that have opened since last week.

All affected schools had been shut and number of other schools have since closed as a precaution, he said.

To my mind, that means the protocols are working - they detect cases and close the affected school(s) - 70 cases out of 40,000 schools does not sound like a terrible problem to me.

This guy does some good videos looking at the evidence - references the study done by Prof JoAnn Manson at Harvard Medical School a couple of weeks ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fxw3nTZYlA

 

To my mind, that means the protocols are working - they detect cases and close the affected school(s) - 70 cases out of 40,000 schools does not sound like a terrible problem to me.

Bear in mind France is reporting hundreds of cases a day, rather than the thousands a day we're seeing. I still think we're seeing far too many new cases at the moment! We're still seeing around 3500 a day and it's not falling especially fast either.

(Last 5 days with data from Worldometer for France: 204, 636, 810, 637, 453)

 

 

Whenever I've seen an estate agents "video tour" all they seem to do is a video which shows the photos you can already see but in a fancy way. 

.... with the widest angle lens possible to make everything look bigger 

 

 

I just don't comprehend any other argument - no civilisation can survive with completely open borders.

That's probably true as things stand. I think "uncivilisation" is a better word. What you are really saying is that we've got the good bits of the world and we ain't sharing it with you! That is the status quo I accept but let's not dress it up as being a noble thing. I would have a borderless  world but I know it is not possible the way the world is now but I don't have a problem dreaming of Utopia.

 

.... with the widest angle lens possible to make everything look bigger 

Off topic, but our last house had a small back garden - when we put it on the market, the Estate Agent glossy landed for our property and the back garden looked at least twice the size it really was. I said to my wife at the time - why would they do that (produce a distorted image)? Since people would only be disappointed when they came to view and saw the reality, which would surely make them less likely to want to make an offer.

I expect the lack of public toilets will put some sort of limit on how far people travel when out and about come Whitsun next week.

 

That's probably true as things stand. I think "uncivilisation" is a better word. What you are really saying is that we've got the good bits of the world and we ain't sharing it with you! That is the status quo I accept but let's not dress it up as being a noble thing. I would have a borderless  world but I know it is not possible the way the world is now but I don't have a problem dreaming of Utopia.

I do understand where you are coming from. However, my attitude is that you defend what you have - we have seen from history what happens to those who don't manage or are unwilling to defend their turf.

In the next 30 years, the population of Africa and the middle east is forecast to rise by about 550 million - I would rather they mostly stayed there.

There is some argument that Caucasians managed to settle northern latitudes partly because of this, partly because the ability to break down lactose in milk is a genetic modification widespread in Caucasians, and milk is a good source of vit D. (If you can't break down lactose and drink milk, the bacteria in your gut have a field day, with distressing results). That argument is shaky, though, because the ability to break down lactose has also been found in a number of cattle-rearing societies in Africa and Asia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactose_intolerance#Epidemiology

Chicken & egg thing innit?

The theory I've read into was that when people first began colonising more northern latitudes, they were very likely still predominantly black, with lighter skin an occasional mutation.

The reduced sunlight strength led to a higher incidence of rickets in people with darker skin who were less able to absorb sunlight leading to vit D deficiency. A man with rickets was generally less proficient at running and hunting, whilst those with lighter skin mutations were less affected and became more sought-after mates for women (better providers). With women, rickets can lead to deformities of the pelvic girdle leading to both increased miscarriage chance and birth difficulties. This both lowers the chance of a darker-skinned women successfully reproducing, whilst also in time making them less attractive mates.

So we had both men and women with the lighter skin mutation being more attractive mates, and a higher chance of them being born successfully. Over generations, the lighter-skin gene became the predominant one through natural selection.

Of course, this is just a theory (although I first heard of from Dr Alice Roberts, and she is never wrong ) and there will obviously be more contributing factors - like the lactose breaking-down gene you mention - but it makes logical sense to me as an explanation.

I expect the lack of public toilets will put some sort of limit on how far people travel when out and about come Whitsun next week.

When we went out on Saturday we all needed a wee soon after we arrived. The fallback was to go to a supermarket but we tried a bank of automated-lock (20p) toilets and they were thankfully open.

 

I do understand where you are coming from. However, my attitude is that you defend what you have - we have seen from history what happens to those who don't manage or are unwilling to defend their turf.

In the next 30 years, the population of Africa and the middle east is forecast to rise by about 550 million - I would rather they mostly stayed there.

We have never had 'open borders' for as long as you or I have been alive, so stop being so hysterical.

When in the EU, there was free movement of EU citizens, but we always had control over immigration from non-EU countries. And yet immigration from non-EU countries was perennially higher than immigration from EU countries.

Makes you wonder who's duping who WRT immigration.

We have never had 'open borders' for as long as you or I have been alive, so stop being so hysterical.

When in the EU, there was free movement of EU citizens, but we always had control over immigration from non-EU countries. And yet immigration from non-EU countries was perennially higher than immigration from EU countries.

Makes you wonder who's duping who WRT immigration.

Well, the new system being legislated for by the government will make it much more transparent about who is coming here legally under the rules. Then there is still the whole crazy situation about illegals and the broken asylum system to consider however.

When it came to EU FoM - my main gripes were that it led to wage depression in certain areas and that under FoM we were obliged to pay universal benefits to EU claimants.

 

 

We have never had 'open borders' for as long as you or I have been alive, so stop being so hysterical.

When in the EU, there was free movement of EU citizens, but we always had control over immigration from non-EU countries. And yet immigration from non-EU countries was perennially higher than immigration from EU countries.

Makes you wonder who's duping who WRT immigration.

 

 

There is no point trying debate him. Its like trying to argue with someone in a brainwashed cult. 

Mind you, Anosmia is a common feature of Common Cold, too. Had it in February this year.

 

 

 

Chicken & egg thing innit?

The theory I've read into was that when people first began colonising more northern latitudes, they were very likely still predominantly black, with lighter skin an occasional mutation.

The reduced sunlight strength led to a higher incidence of rickets in people with darker skin who were less able to absorb sunlight leading to vit D deficiency. A man with rickets was generally less proficient at running and hunting, whilst those with lighter skin mutations were less affected and became more sought-after mates for women (better providers). With women, rickets can lead to deformities of the pelvic girdle leading to both increased miscarriage chance and birth difficulties. This both lowers the chance of a darker-skinned women successfully reproducing, whilst also in time making them less attractive mates.

So we had both men and women with the lighter skin mutation being more attractive mates, and a higher chance of them being born successfully. Over generations, the lighter-skin gene became the predominant one through natural selection.

Of course, this is just a theory (although I first heard of from Dr Alice Roberts, and she is never wrong ) and there will obviously be more contributing factors - like the lactose breaking-down gene you mention - but it makes logical sense to me as an explanation.

 

This is what most experts now agree, though European racists struggle to believe they started out as black. Dr Janina Ramirez also did a recent BBC4 series about this and archaeologists found an ancient site in Germany with artefacts etc, and the tribe was dark skinned

OT, but sadly BBC4 is being shut down later this year

 

There is no point trying debate him. Its like trying to argue with someone in a brainwashed cult. 

Pots and kettles come to mind.