Main Coronavirus / Covid-19 Discussion Thread

[beorhthelm]

We stopped testing (and, as a consequence, tracking and tracing), because we haven't got enough tests. We haven't got enough tests, because: 1, we didn't prepare appropriately for a pandemic largely due to the following factors over the mid-term: it wasn't considered sufficiently serious enough; we were distracted with Brexit; proper preparation is expensive, and we were on an austerity drive; and 2, once CV19 kicked in, we didn't act quickly enough.
The smart scientific/epidemiological current position is that, short of a vaccine, testing is the only way out of this (and even with a vaccine, testing will remain important).
I take the view that things are interconnected. You can't silo them off into distinct zones.

then explain the reaction across Europe without this distraction. they are not interconnected, the body responsible for planning and preperation of health issues is only concerned with health matters.

 

[Notters]

if we want to avoid the deepest ever econimc depression, and the impact to life and people that will have, we do need to return to work as soon as practical. herd immunity, through infection or immunisation, is always going to happen. it is not some maverick idea.

Herd immunity is literally the only thing that can happen short of a vaccine being mass produced in the next month. That's why I don't understand the government being criticised for it.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

I can't see the details for when the whole of China started lockdown. Anyone know?

Can't trust a thing that country says anymore. Italy, Spain and the US are your true figures.

 

[Notters]

True, but it is totally unacceptable to put people at risk of a disease that in 15-20% of symptomatic cases results in severe disease. I don't fancy my chances against this, and frankly couldn't give a toss about the economy over my life

That depends entirely on how many asymptomatic cases there are. Which we don't know.

 

[kevo]

Don't you just love our state broadcaster?

 

[Hugo Rune]

Main Coronavirus / Covid-19 Dicsussion Thread

True, but it is totally unacceptable to put people at risk of a disease that in 15-20% of symptomatic cases results in severe disease. I don't fancy my chances against this, and frankly couldn't give a toss about the economy over my life

Very interesting looking back at your posts over the last few months on this thread.

You’ve kind of acted like Fiver in Watership Down with some frighteningly accurate predictions at a time when folk on here questioned your mental health, advised you to take time away from the board and accused you of scaremongering. Your only mistake throughout was to quote death rates of hundreds of millions (although this might occur if Covid-19 ever gets a proper grip in developing countries), you were calling the exact ‘Hammer’ measures at the right times (in my opinion) to stop this thing spreading out of control. Visionary stuff, well done.

If you were advising the government and they’d listened to your advice (Boris was on holiday at the time you wanted the government to really pull their finger out so perhaps not!), we’d be looking at no more than a double digit death toll in my opinion. We might even be out of lockdown now.

As you will know, being an Island nation offers huge advantages, as Farage knew only too well, you can easily control your borders compared to countries like France, Germany, Italy and Spain. New Zealand closed their borders weeks and weeks ago, at the equivalent time to when we had the super spreader alarm call in Brighton in terms of infections. They have tracked and traced and recorded just one death, that’s right, one death. I noticed you ‘called’ that border close here very very early.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

And so it starts, the push of economics over safety...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52219930

So what exactly is government policy, is herd immunity still the answer?

After this it will be teachers next.

 

[darkwolf666]

After this it will be teachers next.

So what you mean is, if you tolerate this your children will be next

Seriously though, yes there will be a gradual drip drip of people going back to work, many being forced back before they are prepared to go - will be interesting to see the Governments position at that point, will they continue to financially support those that self isolate out of fear?

 

[Deleted member 22389]

So what you mean is, if you tolerate this your children will be next

Seriously though, yes there will be a gradual drip drip of people going back to work, many being forced back before they are prepared to go - will be interesting to see the Governments position at that point, will they continue to financially support those that self isolate out if fear?

No, it will be get back to work, no more financial support. I also expect the government will cut the school summer holidays down as well. They want their money back. It's crappy and rubbish.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

And so it starts, the push of economics over safety...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52219930

So what exactly is government policy, is herd immunity still the answer?

So the government needs to urgently keep passports up to date...

Could be they are going to use them as part of an immunity certification system.

 

[darkwolf666]

No, it will be get back to work, no more financial support. I also expect the government will cut the school summer holidays down as well. They want their money back. It's crappy and rubbish.

I fear you are 100% accurate...

 

[darkwolf666]

So the government needs to urgently keep passports up to date...

Could be they are going to use them as part of an immunity certification system.

Hhmmm, maybe. Out of interest how many people in the UK don't have a passport, let alone a valid one?

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Hhmmm, maybe. Out of interest how many people in the UK don't have a passport, let alone a valid one?

There'll be millions I expect. I don't have one, don't really want one anymore either and one of my children(17 yrs old) doesn't. That's half my family, we may not be representative but I am sure it is a significant minority.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Don't you just love our state broadcaster?

View attachment 121941

Pretty sure most people complaining just don't like Boris or the Tories.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Hhmmm, maybe. Out of interest how many people in the UK don't have a passport, let alone a valid one?

Not sure.

It may also be that they won't actually use passports as such, but will use the passport office to issue any certification.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

I fear you are 100% accurate...

I want things back to normal like everyone else, but not at the risk of our health. My wife is a teacher and she reckons schools will start going back after May half term, a staggered start.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

I want things back to normal like everyone else, but not at the risk of our health. My wife is a teacher and she reckons schools will start going back after May half term, a staggered start.

That is not inconceivable if our peak is very soon and drops off quickly enough. But if not, I don't think the government will want all those mum,dad's, grandparents dropping kids off, socialising and picking them up again. Not to mention contagion from the kids who cannot/will not observe social distancing. As I understand it the government is trying to control the peak, that means very slowly allowing returns to work and 'allowing' the infections to rise slowly in order to stop overburdening the NHS but keep the number of people recovering going up.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

That is not inconceivable if our peak is very soon and drops off quickly enough. But if not, I don't think the government will want all those mum,dad's, grandparents dropping kids off, socialising and picking them up again. Not to mention contagion from the kids who cannot/will not observe social distancing. As I understand it the government is trying to control the peak, that means very slowly allowing returns to work and 'allowing' the infections to rise slowly in order to stop overburdening the NHS but keep the number of people recovering going up.

I really hope our peak is soon, we could then start thinking about returning to half a normal life, but the government will need to do proper contact tracing after that.

 

[kevo]

Pretty sure most people complaining just don't like Boris or the Tories.

Pretty sure 1,000 deaths in a single day is more newsworthy than 'Boris is sitting up in his bed'.

I obviously don't wish him any harm, but the sycophancy from the BBC was out of all proportion on a day when a record number of deaths were recorded.

 

[ManOfSussex]

That is not inconceivable if our peak is very soon and drops off quickly enough. But if not, I don't think the government will want all those mum,dad's, grandparents dropping kids off, socialising and picking them up again. Not to mention contagion from the kids who cannot/will not observe social distancing. As I understand it the government is trying to control the peak, that means very slowly allowing returns to work and 'allowing' the infections to rise slowly in order to stop overburdening the NHS but keep the number of people recovering going up.

The way I see it is the Government are looking to play a long game in trying to control the peak, lock-down is a crucial part of it and it's lifting and easing is therefore going to be a gradual, drawn out process as a result.