Corona Virus main thread

[FenwayFrank 2,457]

6 minutes ago, A Load of Squit said:

They really are making it up as they go along.

BREAKING: The government has extended its bereavement scheme to NHS support staff and carers from abroad. Their families will be given indefinite leave to remain in the UK if they die, having made huge sacrifices in battling this pandemic.

 

It’s not good news then ?

[FenwayFrank 2,457]

34 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

Not being sexist but Alex Scott on the task force for the return of sport? 

I wouldn’t put her on the task force of a question of sport

[Barbe bleu 815]

51 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

Testing doubles overnight. 

200K by the end of the month even if most of them are in the post.

Of the 177,000 announced  today 80,000 were tests in the post; 38,000 were drive ups; 23,000 were for surveillance and the rest were tests in hospital 

[Herman 9,717]

This doesn't look good.

 

[Van wink 2,994]

23 minutes ago, Herman said:

This doesn't look good.

 

Fair bit of social distancing from what I can see. This isnt the environment where we will see transmission if reasonable precautions are taken. Just to add, glorious on the North Norfolk Coast today, no problems that I saw, just happy people being sensible.

Edited May 20, 2020 by Van wink

[Van wink 2,994]

27 minutes ago, FenwayFrank said:

It’s not good news then ?

Dont ask questions like that!!!!!!! Anyone would think we were in the middle of a pandemic!!!😉

[FenwayFrank 2,457]

13 minutes ago, Herman said:

This doesn't look good.

 

Shouldn’t most of those people be at work or working from home ?

[Aggy 752]

9 minutes ago, FenwayFrank said:

Shouldn’t most of those people be at work or working from home ?

8 million people currently on furlough and many more on reduced hours. Might as well make the most of the sun, can’t do anything else!

[A Load of Squit 5,134]

46 minutes ago, FenwayFrank said:

It’s not good news then ?

Tremendous example of a Government not have a clue what they are doing, announce something that is obviously a bad idea and then change your mind less that 24 hours later.

 

[Van wink 2,994]

1 minute ago, Aggy said:

8 million people currently on furlough and many more on reduced hours. Might as well make the most of the sun, can’t do anything else!

What I want to know is where did they all go for a pee!

[Trevor Hockey's Beard 526]

1 hour ago, wcorkcanary said:

Not even the Borisboys would be as stupid as to put such a vote loser( except among the imallrightjacks) in a manifesto. Just as they are not obliged ( or intend , for that matter) to fulfill  all their manifesto.  Its Politics ,not Honesty that  they are playing. 

If I remember correctly the Tories didn't actually produce a Manifesto, so it can't be a case of a policy being in or not in their Manifesto. I think this is called Artifice.

[Aggy 752]

1 minute ago, Van wink said:

What I want to know is where did they all go for a pee!

Why do you think all the water has got clearer since lockdown??

[TIL 1010 4,722]

31 minutes ago, Van wink said:

Fair bit of social distancing from what I can see. This isnt the environment where we will see transmission if reasonable precautions are taken. Just to add, glorious on the North Norfolk Coast today, no problems that I saw, just happy people being sensible.

You didn't bump into anybody riding a bike up near Weybourne did you as they have been missing for two days ?

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

1 hour ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

To be fair, neither Goreham nor Kamara were top international footballers with 100+ caps for their country. 

So you would recommend Rooney for the position then?

[Van wink 2,994]

41 minutes ago, TIL 1010 said:

You didn't bump into anybody riding a bike up near Weybourne did you as they have been missing for two days ?

There was a bedraggled chap walking along the coast road muttering to himself and shaking his fist at anyone wearing a mask.

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,782]

10 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

So you would recommend Rooney for the position then?

He may not be the brain of Britain, but the opinion of a top level footballer surely carries more weight than most?

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

14 minutes ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

He may not be the brain of Britain, but the opinion of a top level footballer surely carries more weight than most?

I believe that it needs common sense. Compromise mixed with tolerance of all sports is what is required. I don't think an ex footballer is any more qualified than business experts for example.

Where I will concede is that he top ex sports people carry more respect for what they achieved.

[Indy 3,284]

1 hour ago, TIL 1010 said:

You didn't bump into anybody riding a bike up near Weybourne did you as they have been missing for two days ?

That’s noticeable by the way discussions have become more normal with a lot less confrontation! Can’t say I’m missing our mutual friend!

[Indy 3,284]

1 hour ago, Herman said:

This doesn't look good.

 

I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s an archive pictured just for impact by our ****e media!

I took our hound down the beach today a fair few families down there all spaced out and everyone being very cautious, good to see if people behave.

[cornish sam 945]

1 minute ago, Indy said:

I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s an archive pictured just for impact by our ****e media!

I took our hound down the beach today a fair few families down there all spaced out and everyone being very cautious, good to see if people behave.

Are you a flat earthed by any chance indy? After all, we can't really see the curve and it doesnt feel like we're spinning at 1000mph (I know in the UK it's less than that)

[Indy 3,284]

Just now, cornish sam said:

Are you a flat earthed by any chance indy? After all, we can't really see the curve and it doesnt feel like we're spinning at 1000mph (I know in the UK it's less than that)

Not sure what you mean? Nope just stating that media try for maximum impact, I was down our beach and it was busy with families but like I said all distant from each other.

Nope by the way, I’ve flown round it a fair few times and can confirm it’s definitely a sphere.

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,782]

39 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

I believe that it needs common sense. Compromise mixed with tolerance of all sports is what is required. I don't think an ex footballer is any more qualified than business experts for example.

Where I will concede is that he top ex sports people carry more respect for what they achieved.

It needs a mixture. Experts in the field of medicine, finance and football governance plus ex-players from a variety of levels and sports, including semi-pro, elite level and women's, in my opinion.

[Surfer 1,547]

2 hours ago, Barbe bleu said:

Of the 177,000 announced  today 80,000 were tests in the post; 38,000 were drive ups; 23,000 were for surveillance and the rest were tests in hospital 

The number of tests is not very relevant IMO. Here in California we have ramped up to only 30,000 test results per day for a population of 40 million. Despite significant interaction with Asian countries we still have < 4,000 deaths. 

Why is the outcome so different for the UK? Is it population density/ climate/ different viral strain/ underlying health of the population? And what practical outcomes do the tests deliver?

I fear “ramp up the tests” has become the new “protect the NHS” - both needed to be done but neither of them are core issues to focus on. 

Those are - what did we learn, what are we going to do next, what do we want the public to do, how do we repair our economy and public and private finances? 

Government - any ideas on that? 

[Barbe bleu 815]

33 minutes ago, Surfer said:

The number of tests is not very relevant IMO. 

I fear “ramp up the tests” has become the new “protect the NHS” - both needed to be done but neither of them are core issues to focus on. 

 

I'm  not sure I would go that far but I know what you are saying about relevance.   The media pick up a stick (variously ventilators,  face masks, gowns, tests) to beat the government with and the government makes this the priority.

Meanwhile everyone is missing what should be the priority.

Edited May 20, 2020 by Barbe bleu

[sgncfc 1,223]

1 hour ago, Barbe bleu said:

I'm  not sure I would go that far but I know what you are saying about relevance.   The media pick up a stick (variously ventilators,  face masks, gowns, tests) to beat the government with and the government makes this the priority.

Meanwhile everyone is missing what should be the priority.

Doesn't really matter what the government focus on - they haven't solved any of them yet.

[sgncfc 1,223]

5 hours ago, A Load of Squit said:

They really are making it up as they go along.

BREAKING: The government has extended its bereavement scheme to NHS support staff and carers from abroad. Their families will be given indefinite leave to remain in the UK if they die, having made huge sacrifices in battling this pandemic.

 

As long as those who died have already paid their surcharge presumably....

[Barbe bleu 815]

4 minutes ago, sgncfc said:

Doesn't really matter what the government focus on - they haven't solved any of them yet.

I don't know about that. We have probably got enough ventilators, gowns, face masks and tests now.

And all the while these were being  debates in angry terms no one thought to stop agency care workers go from care home to care home

 

 

 

[sonyc 5,492]

25 minutes ago, Barbe bleu said:

I don't know about that. We have probably got enough ventilators, gowns, face masks and tests now.

And all the while these were being  debates in angry terms no one thought to stop agency care workers go from care home to care home

 

 

 

It's been over 70 days since the WHO declared a pandemic (March 11th) and we don't appear yet to have adequate contact tracing. 

[Herman 9,717]

6 hours ago, Barbe bleu said:

I don't know about that. We have probably got enough ventilators, gowns, face masks and tests now.

And all the while these were being  debates in angry terms no one thought to stop agency care workers go from care home to care home

 

 

 

A good person to read is Lewis Goodall of Newsnight. He's been investigating the care home sector and some have done really well. Shut down straight away, sorted out their own PPE etc. Whereas others have had to take people back in from hospital with no checks, little or no protection and little help in funding. And from what he writes it does seem like a postcode lottery, with a lot of homes in the poorer north bearing the full force of this disaster.

[T 190]

The WHO sounded the warnings bells very loudly and very clearly long before it was called a pandemic which is a definitional term. The UK has been reactive rather than proactive throughout and slow to react at that. You have a bumbling leader leading a bumbling government. It needs more than just a review of pandemic procedures but a review of UK governance healthcare and education system. The UK systems are hundreds of years old and they look it ie not functional in the modern world  

When over half the country think Brexit is a good idea then there is a fundamental cultural and educationional problem where slogans and emotion and history and nationalism are prioritised over logic and reason and evidence and knowledge and expert advice and practical getting things done. No doubt people will get aggressive defensive but U.K. needs to take a deeper look at itself and learn for its own good out of this experience.