COVID-19 — Coronavirus

[Marvin]

Yeah I think so, numbers of new cases daily are very high. But not because of people walking their dog or running. It’s because of shit like this

Wow!

 

[Vic]

Roche are actually a Swiss company, but it's a bit more complex than that.
This is commercially available for more extensive testing I don't know what the other studies were using, the UK itself has some very accurate testing ability but not so far the ability to do it on a widespread basis.
The mathematics of testing are such that you can use a slightly inaccurate test to give a reasonable population estimate if you know the accuracy but not a reasonable individual result.

I had a bit of a spat many weeks ago with people arguing against a bit of random testing. It derived from a dodgy thing from Oxford uni that half the population may have had it. I think I assumed it was about antibodies rather than antigens but the idea that we couldn't test anybody for anything always seemed just as dodgy.

It couldn't be that difficult, could it? Test ten random people at a tube station, test ten MPs, test ten blood donors (they're just asking the usual "do you feel well"), ten air crew, ten people in a town with few confirmed cases, ten in Brum, ten in Manchester, ten in Liverpool, ten in Ambridge (high risk as the pub is still open) - all obviously just sample jobs and places - and you'd have some clue as to prevalence.

 

[BlueAnorak]

Ha. I take it this is sarcastic?

A little yes.

 

[Cityfan]

I had a bit of a spat many weeks ago with people arguing against a bit of random testing. It derived from a dodgy thing from Oxford uni that half the population may have had it. I think I assumed it was about antibodies rather than antigens but the idea that we couldn't test anybody for anything always seemed just as dodgy.

We have been doing some random sampling and although I haven't seen the results published, in one of the briefings the indication was that it was around 4% of the population had antibodies.
It is difficult to do when we are in a steep up phase of infection because there is a lag between infection and production of antibodies.

 

[somapop]

Anyone heard of the Hector Drummond Magazine?
Seems this pandemic is fertile ground for critics of the governments (and indeed conspiracy theorists).

https://hectordrummond.com/2020/05/09/alistair-haimes-the-virus-that-turned-up-late/

 

[Vic]

Anyone heard of the Hector Drummond Magazine?
Seems this pandemic is fertile ground for critics of the governments (and indeed conspiracy theorists).

https://hectordrummond.com/2020/05/09/alistair-haimes-the-virus-that-turned-up-late/

Sounds like good reason we've never heard of it. Trying to make a point about Sweden without pointing out they have an awful deaths per capita figure, and comparing the death toll from Covid to the toll of the 1918 flu - where no-one locked down.

 

[somapop]

Well that’s the elephant in the room for a lot of these opinion pieces.

 

[Vic]

Yeah I think so, numbers of new cases daily are very high. But not because of people walking their dog or running. It’s because of shit like this

I don't think protection of migrant workers has ever featured high on Qatar's to-do list.

 

[robbieh]

So in Spain 10 days on from allowing adults to go out and take exercise for an hour the numbers are creeping up after continuously dropping.

It might just be one day but need to keep an eye on it. Especially as the lockdown was eased again on Monday.

It might also explain why the UK seems to be stuck at a higher plateau as the lockdown allowed people to go out and exercise from the start.

 

[SWP's back]

I don't think protection of migrant workers has ever featured high on Qatar's to-do list.

Well they’re making them wear masks which is more than most countries. Doesn’t stop the migrant workers being fucking idiots and stand 2mm apart.