COVID-19 — Coronavirus

[gordondaviesmoustache]

You’re a ray of sunshine. ;-)

Couldn’t help myself — I post in support of your stance, of course.

Could you two get a (heavily isolated) room?

 

[kaz7]

Police could be reduced to just dealing with very serious crimes and maintaining public order, while the NHS could be closed to all but critical care, as part of the government's coronavirus plans.

Under ministers' action plan to deal with a mass outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, it has been revealed emergency services all have measures in place to "fulfil critical functions".


But they would have to reduce services should significant numbers of police officers, NHS staff and other public services be struck down by the virus.

The government also confirmed plans were in place to draft in the army, if necessary, to maintain public order

• Police would "concentrate on responding to serious crimes" if they lose a "significant" amount of staff to illness
• UK has stockpiles of medicines for the NHS, along with protective clothing and equipment for medical staff
• If coronavirus becomes widespread, there will be a focus on essential services for those "most at risk"
• The Ministry of Defence will provide support as needed
• There will be increased government communication with parliament, the public and the media
• Social distancing strategies could be implemented, which would include school closures, home-working, and reducing the number of large scale gatherings
• Non-urgent operations and procedures could be cancelled and hospital discharges monitored to free up beds
• Measures would come into place to help businesses with short-term cash flow problems
• A distribution strategy for sending out key medicines and equipment to NHS and social care patients

Ministers did not put figures on projected mortality rates for a severe outbreak of COVID-19, but confirmed there could be an increase in deaths arising from the outbreak.

Reports of worst-case scenario plans suggest four out of five people could contract the virus with up to 500,000 deaths.

The government action plan, revealed on Tuesday, warned of a depletion in workforces across the UK.

Officials said they were "uncertain of the impact of the outbreak for business" but confirmed that one in five workers could be absent in the weeks the virus peaks.

Lots more here

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...me-in-case-of-mass-covid-19-outbreak-11948456

 

[I'm With Stupid]

That's fair enough but it still gives a fatality rate of 2-4%, so for most healthy people it isn't the 'killer virus' as being driven by the newspaper headlines and a few posters here.

Imagine 10% of people get it, then a 2% death rate would lead to over 120,000 deaths in the UK. I'd say that's worth worrying about.

 

[SebastianBlue]

Could you two get a (heavily isolated) room?

Only if you are there, as well — only the consummate pedant menage a trois will do.

 

[inbetween]

The problem is the high R0 and the fact that it seems you’re likely to pass it on to people for a day or two before symptoms appear.

That and wankers thinking it’s nothing more than cold and ignoring the advice and thus creating a bigger problem.

There is apparently one case where it took 27 days for the symptoms to appear.

Still though this is where education is needed. If people practice good hygiene and don't goto Wuhan on holiday then the chances of contracting it are pretty much non-existant.

This isn't a virus that is actively spreading amongst the general population otherwise we'd have thousands of cases and not 50. Even if that does happen then it will be isolated to certain areas.

To think Wuhan has a population of 10 million or so and only tens of thousands got it (barely 1%).... It's still unlikely that you'd get it even at ground zero. The increase in cases in China is also reducing and half have made a full recovery.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Police could be reduced to just dealing with very serious crimes and maintaining public order.

This pissed me off. Yeah fair enough, but don't actually say it ffs. You've basically just invited every petty criminal in the country to have a field day with that statement.

 

[Blue Maverick]

If you look around there are a lot of very unhealthy young people too, they are not as fit as people born say 30/40/50 years ago, XBOX backsides and junk food may mean they aren't as immune or indestructible as we think, I sincerely hope they are though.

Eating white dog shot has given me a fighting chance thank fuck I grew up in the 70/80s

 

[Claytop]

Whilst I agree that it's best to have plans in place and not take any risks it still needs a certain amount of perspective put onto it. 13,911 people tested in the UK with 13,860 negative and 51 positive. There's probably more who have it who haven't been tested but then if they're making full recoveries then this would bring the mortality rate down.

Yes get educated about what you can do to minimize any risks (especially if you have existing medical conditions) but I don't think it requires any panic or some of the reactions I've seen online.

 

[mexico1970]

This pissed me off. Yeah fair enough, but don't actually say it ffs. You've basically just invited every petty criminal in the country to have a field day with that statement.

If the police are a no show then some sort of neighbourhood watch with teeth will appear, it'll be a bigger deterrent to thieves and petty criminals than the punishments now.

 

[grunge]

I accept that, but let’s say it gets to 640. Isn’t that the time to tell everybody to stay indoors for 8 weeks then it stops?

I accept and understand it will grow but to 80% of the population seems beyond belief

that is exactly what China has done at great cost to there economy and it does seem to be working.

But do you a) see our government doing that, b) see people doing it even if they are told?