COVID-19 — Coronavirus

[mancityvstoke]

You can bet your life these bastards in government telling us to carry on regardless has access to the best of healthcare, and wont' be fighting for hospital beds.

Same types saying stay in your flat when the building is burning....you'll be fine

 

[sir baconface]

Anyone else see a flaw in a plan that seeks to protect the elderly but wants to increase NHS capacity by asking retirees to rejoin?

Do you think re-joiners will have heart conditions, asthma and fcuked lungs?

 

[Craig]

So you believe the government has instituted a strategy which puts the economy ahead of protecting this country’s most vulnerable citizens?

That would surprise nobody

 

[shackattack]

work in social care and lone work with people with COPD/ Health issues around breathing. feels like am being manipulated emotionally to care for people currently.
employer has cancelled team meetings/ face to face supervisions but as neither side has been tested eg myself/ customer it feels strange just walking into work.

 

[SebastianBlue]

I am not able to be on much today because of the need to manage some urgent family issues arising from the new measures being taken in Spain, but wanted to share this Twitter thread to provide additional context to why the COVID-19 pandemic is being taken so seriously and how it compares to previous major global viral outbreaks.

I think it is helpful to understand the relative severity and learn more about past outbreaks to better inform our comprehension of current events.

I hope everyone is doing as well as possible given the circumstances and that we are able to keep things civil, compassionate, and supportive on here today (and in the coming weeks).

As I have said before, as more lockdown measures are established, and isolation becomes more widespread, this may soon be one of the few places we can reliably find community and (virtual) companionship, so it is increasingly important that we put our political/ideological differences aside to support follow blues (and esteemed non-blues) as we move through this crisis together (I support you, @Gelsons Dad :-) ).

Stay safe, keep calm, and pass to Silva.

 

[mcfc1632]

The converse is also true. The desire to support, the need to see a purposeful pattern in what the Govt does. In times of crisis it becomes an article of faith that the Govt has got this right and is listening to the best advice. To achieve this we have had Britain leads to world in this field and our unique approach is better than mass lockdowns.

In reality what we were doing wasn’t that much difference from the continent given the different timeline and our comms strategy is a mess as I have already pointed out with the ‘business as usual’ quickly followed by ‘restrictive measures on the way’ as the British public and industry were not going with ‘business as usual’.

All week we had discussion on ‘herd immunity’ and in one paywalled article the Health Sec. says it was never a thing. In what universe does someone think this contradiction is good comms strategy or putting briefings by a Health minister behind a paywall or anonymous briefings to journos is a good way to handle the situation?

A converse can always be described

I think that what I set out though makes perfect sense and would be the way any/all/ certainly most PMs / senior politicians would play it - especially someone with Johnsons' character flaws

 

[ali benarbia's studs]

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Tracking the infection is going to get awkward if infected people are staying at home and not getting tested. How are the Gvt going to know what the incident rate/ recovered rate etc?

They will get the serious cases in their hospitals and of course the deaths but will they be left with modelling most of the data?

I’ve said this before to much derision. Their strategy relies on optimal timing rather than an immediate aggressive response, yet the data will not be there to know when the correct timings are or to know whether the reality is tracking with their models. It’s a shambles of an approach.

 

[mcfc1632]

If the government gave the scientific advisors the brief that their priority was to protect the economy rather than human lives this would leak out into the public domain quicker than you could say ‘callous bastards’.

Correct - really think people should try and obsess less about their need to slag off Johnson/Tories - there will be plenty of opportunities in the coming years

This topic is far too important and peoples obsessions get in the way of it being discussed effectively

 

[George Hannah]

possibly, but who know.
we are clearly not following the advice of the WHO. Dr Campbell feels the same way and articulates it better than me!

Maybe we should balance this with Prof Whitty's explanation of UK strategy

 

[andyhinch]

I am not able to be on much today because of the need to manage some urgent family issues arising from the new measures being taken in Spain, but wanted to share this Twitter thread to provide additional context to why the COVID-19 pandemic is being taken so seriously and how it compares to previous major global viral outbreaks.

It think is helpful to understand the relative severity and learn more about past outbreaks to better inform our comprehension of current events.

I hope everyone is doing as well as possible given the circumstances and that we are able to keep things civil, compassionate, and supportive on here today (and in the coming weeks).

As I have said before, as more lockdown measures are established, and isolation becomes more widespread, this may soon be one of the few places we can reliably find community and (virtual) companionship, so it is increasingly important that we put our political/ideological differences aside to support follow blues (and esteemed non-blues) as we move through this crisis together (I support you, @Gelsons Dad :-) ).

Stay safe, keep calm, and pass to Silva.

Cheers, hope you get things sorted with your family

 

[BobKowalski]

From MoS

‘Some people trying to point the finger at Vallence over Herd Immunity. But he was only explaining the science behind the principle. And crucially, he was only asked about it because of the botched briefing saying Herd Immunity was the key plank of the government’s strategy’

From FT

‘The whole “herd immunity” concept - fanned by official and “source” briefings - is a PR disaster, which Hancock is now trying to close down. He says it was never part of the plan’

Too many voices with conflicting messages. Daily briefings with no leaking to favourite or sympathetic journos should be the norm.

 

[bluejon]

Correct - really think people should try and obsess less about their need to slag off John/Tories - there will be plenty of opportunities in the coming years

This topic is far too important and peoples obsessions get in the way of it being discussed effectively

And those on here who defend them no matter what should also realise that this government's completely disgraceful response to this is going to cause people to die. Those screaming that we shouldn't be bringing politics into this need to realise it is politics that has left us with an NHS that does not have the capacity to deal with this crisis.

 

[SilverFox2]

Was due to take the family to London next weekend (planned on taking my lad to Chelsea away before it got rearranged/cancelled) but not sure if it's a good idea now. Can't get refunds for the train or hotel (or theatre tickets for the Sat night) so it'd leave me out of pocket but don't know if we want to be travelling around on the tube, in a busy theatre etc. Or is that an over the top reaction - should we just carry on as planned?

Up to about a week ago here in Spain the whole thing seemed remote, last thursday got our first taste of shelf emptying, by saturday we saw no end to it then today Spain is in total lockdown yet our south eastern area has yet to get its first hospital confirmed virus case.
Things can happen quickly.

 

[PragueBlue]

I’ve said this before to much derision. Their strategy relies on optimal timing rather than an immediate aggressive response, yet the data will not be there to know when the correct timings are or to know whether the reality is tracking with their models. It’s a shambles of an approach.

The data it will be based on is % of NHS capacity which will be known to them.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Was due to take the family to London next weekend (planned on taking my lad to Chelsea away before it got rearranged/cancelled) but not sure if it's a good idea now. Can't get refunds for the train or hotel (or theatre tickets for the Sat night) so it'd leave me out of pocket but don't know if we want to be travelling around on the tube, in a busy theatre etc. Or is that an over the top reaction - should we just carry on as planned?

Honestly, you should not even leave the house unless it’s unavoidable or necessary. People need to realise this. We are not being forced to do it, inexplicably, so need to do it ourselves.

 

[Pell]

Was due to take the family to London next weekend (planned on taking my lad to Chelsea away before it got rearranged/cancelled) but not sure if it's a good idea now. Can't get refunds for the train or hotel (or theatre tickets for the Sat night) so it'd leave me out of pocket but don't know if we want to be travelling around on the tube, in a busy theatre etc. Or is that an over the top reaction - should we just carry on as planned?

I wouldn't do it to be honest. I think you should stay in your home, unless its an emergency, or something absolutely necessary like work, or food or essential supplies. That's what I'm doing. If the government aren't locking down, we should do it ourselves.

 

[denislawsbackheel]

I wouldn’t travel to London at the moment.
Even if your train tickets were advance you should be able to reschedule for a fee of £10.
If the govt bring in a ban on gatherings of over 500 this week you will be entitled to a refund of theatre tickets.

 

[Marvin]

The most fundamental function of a government is to keep its people safe. It is from this that it derives its authority, the confidence of the people and its legitimacy.

Nobody should be under the illusion that this is something that can be dodged through somehow manipulating a virus that we are only beginning to understand. This will not pass you by; this is not a tornado, it is a hurricane.

I’m an epidemiologist. When I heard about Britain’s ‘herd immunity’ coronavirus plan, I thought it was satire

William Hanage, epidemiologst (from the MUG).

 

[Craig]

Some rational comment. People have become utter drama queens, this is something fueled by misinformation and the need for the media to boost revenues. All of the 21 individuals who's death has been attributed to this flu virus, had major pre existing respiratory issues and was over 60.
I wonder if people have bothered to compare this 21, with NHS figures of 17, 300 deaths annually attributed to flu and do any of the hysterical drama queens on here actually give a toss about those people!

So you think the entire world has got in a flap over a bit of seasonal flu do you? Thank God our PM isn’t arsed about it either and is having the weekend off from talking to the public.