Main Coronavirus / Covid-19 Discussion Thread

[vegster]

Johnson looks done

No fight, no come back.

He is on his way

He will hang on for a bit but he's on borrowed time. Almost every job he's ever had usually ends in tears or with a sacking when he has been found out. It's really bad luck for Johnson and the country that he got his greatest wish just as Covid - 19 popped up... We needed a man for a crisis and we got a crisis of a man.

 

[beorhthelm]

Pretty sure his solution was to fix it by giving it to local leadership who know the area.

But that doesn’t line anyone’s pockets does it?

its NHS/PHE that want to control the process over local authorities, Serco and others are just providing bodies and would get the gig either way. there isnt a pool of tens of thousands of people on standby for pandemic response. local authorities are still involved so its a mystery why they arent able to provide input where needed.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

its NHS/PHE that want to control the process over local authorities, Serco and others are just providing bodies and would get the gig either way. there isnt a pool of tens of thousands of people on standby for pandemic response.

Is there not actual experts for this sort of thing? App design/tracing etc

I find it hard to believe that serco seem to be a master of everything they are in

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Their end game is a vaccine, that’s literally it. There’s no other way out.

It’s hilarious that a rural town with no cases can be classed as ‘medium’ risk Absolutely clear that they are deliberately using medium/high/very high to scare people, I don’t even blame Johnson, I blame him for being spineless but these policies have Hancock written all over them.

I still to this day believe someone in a high place has a stranglehold on Boris, since he ‘came into power’ he’s gradually looked more and more like a blubbering mouthpiece for other peoples policies.

If someone in high power had control over him you would find at least one paper in support of him.

 

[Poojah]

Johnson looks done

No fight, no come back.

He is on his way

He doesn't look a well man to me. During today's Commons announcement his hair quite literally appeared to falling out; multiple wisps of long, blonde hair sat visibly on the shoulders of his suit jacket.

Let's not forget that he has of course been seriously ill just a matter of months ago; add to that the relentless stress of the ongoing situation and it's hardly surprising that he looks a beaten shadow of his former self.

My sympathy for him is tempered due to the way he manipulated his way into number 10, but suffice to say I don't envy his position. For all the war analogies that have been used throughout, this is a situation from which no politician anywhere can emerge a winner (save, perhaps, for New Zealand's Ardern). A British developed vaccine would only be a victory for our scientists, not our political leaders. The opportunity for positive press just isn't there.

The only legacy that can attach itself to Boris Johnson is one of death and economic disaster, something I think he is acutely aware of. That in itself must be absolutely exhausting.

 

[beorhthelm]

Their end game is a vaccine, that’s literally it. There’s no other way out.

yes, what other plan do you think there is?

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

He doesn't look a well man to me. During today's Commons announcement his hair quite literally appeared to falling out; multiple wisps of long, blonde hair sat visibly on the shoulders of his suit jacket.

Let's not forget that he has of course been seriously ill just a matter of months ago; add to that the relentless stress of the ongoing situation and it's hardly surprising that he looks a beaten shadow of his former self.

My sympathy for him is tempered due to the way he manipulated his way into number 10, but suffice to say I don't envy his position. For all the war analogies that have been used throughout, this is a situation from which no politician anywhere can emerge a winner (save, perhaps, for New Zealand's Ardern). A British developed vaccine would only be a victory for our scientists, not our political leaders. The opportunity for positive press just isn't there.

The only legacy that can attach itself to Boris Johnson is one of death and economic disaster, something I think he is acutely aware of. That in itself must be absolutely exhausting.

Well said

 

[The Wizard]

yes, what other plan do you think there is?

Is a vaccine a certainty?

Its not, it’s negligent of the government or anyone to plow on with lockdowns assuming there will be one. Will they open hospitality(and other restrictions) again once the virus recedes again, if there isn’t a vaccine by this point? They won’t, particularly not over winter, so that’s ‘very high’ areas shut down or in some form of lockdown for the next 6 months.

By the way I agree with [MENTION=17745]Poojah[/MENTION] , though I am scathing of government policies on a human level I feel sorry for anyone around the world in governance facing this, it’s one hell of a responsibility.

 

[beorhthelm]

Is there not actual experts for this sort of thing? App design/tracing etc

I find it hard to believe that serco seem to be a master of everything they are in

of course they arent, they are outsourcing, providing bodies as i say, also G4S and our friends Sodexo among others. the experts inhabit NHS/PHE, directing policy and procedures. no tracking app existed before March, an oversight of every country in the world apparently, ours was developed by firm called Zuhlke.

 

[beorhthelm]

Is a vaccine a certainty?.

a half dozen doing well in phase 3 clinical trials. didnt we do this already, seems you dont want to accept this

back to question, whats the alternative plan?

 

[The Wizard]

a half dozen doing well in phase 3 clinical trials. didnt we do this already, seems you dont want to accept this

back to question, whats the alternative plan?

You do realise how many vaccines get to phase 3 trials and don’t work out?

So no vaccine and we are in lockdown forever, fantastic.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

a half dozen doing well in phase 3 clinical trials. didnt we do this already, seems you dont want to accept this

back to question, whats the alternative plan?

Johnson didn’t seem too positive about the vaccine tbh

 

[A1X]

Shielding. Sounds straightforward, doesn't it? Would involve taking the elderly and vulnerable and more or less making them a prisoner in their own homes with no physical contact with their loved ones until this thing blows over. In essence they would do all the heavy lifting for society while we all live the Life of Reilly outside.

Something similar might have to be done if things get really bad again but I think a lot of people claiming the current situation is poor for mental health really mean it is poor for their mental health.

This. And it's not just them but their loved ones too. I'm in the fortunate position that both my parents are still alive. I'm not keen on the idea I can't properly visit them for another couple of years just because a few selfish gits started crying because they had to leave the pub early.

 

[The Wizard]

Sigh.

The point is, if you’re going to lockdown EVERYONE, why not just lockdown those vulnerable and try something different? Locking up an entire population of 16-30 year olds when the virus has a near 0.01% death rate in that age group is beyond illogical.

Of course shielding the vulnerable wouldn’t be easy, but essentially that’s what we are heading for with a full lockdown anyway isn’t it? Treating age groups who have vastly different outcomes health wise exactly the same is nonsensical, so as soon as they loosen restrictions again, there will be no immunity amongst the young and so the virus will spread again.

 

[beorhthelm]

You do realise how many vaccines get to phase 3 trials and don’t work out?

So no vaccine and we are in lockdown forever, fantastic.

could probably find out the exact number if you want, quite high for vaccines as dont get to phase 3 if they dont work. still no answer on the alternative plan.

 

[beorhthelm]

Sigh.

The point is, if you’re going to lockdown EVERYONE, why not just lockdown those vulnerable and try something different? Locking up an entire population of 16-30 year olds when the virus has a near 0.01% death rate in that age group is beyond illogical.

sigh indeed. we arent locking up the population of 16-30 yo, asking them to stick to small groups and last orders at 10pm. not that much to ask is it?

and yet the cases go up, because some in all age groups arent following simple protocol (or its too loose?). so how well would that work out for the vulnerable if we went down the shielding route? are you suggesting the policy to be lock up millons in at risk groups so the youngster can go out till midnight?

 

[Is it PotG?]

You wanted Johnson and co to get a big majority at the last election so that the opposition in parliament had no power to stop them doing exactly what they wanted, and that is exactly what you have got.

I agree completely that it is typical of the selfish ####s in this country not to take actually take responsibility for what they've done

Great, as usual.

 

[Mellotron]

You do realise how many vaccines get to phase 3 trials and don’t work out?

So no vaccine and we are in lockdown forever, fantastic.

15%, to answer your question.

85% of vaccines that pass Phase II pass Phase III.

We are very likely to have numerous working vaccines within the next 1-3 months.

 

[Fitzcarraldo]

Sigh.

The point is, if you’re going to lockdown EVERYONE, why not just lockdown those vulnerable and try something different? Locking up an entire population of 16-30 year olds when the virus has a near 0.01% death rate in that age group is beyond illogical.

Of course shielding the vulnerable wouldn’t be easy, but essentially that’s what we are heading for with a full lockdown anyway isn’t it? Treating age groups who have vastly different outcomes health wise exactly the same is nonsensical, so as soon as they loosen restrictions again, there will be no immunity amongst the young and so the virus will spread again.

How do you suggest an age-related lockdown/age-related restrictions would work? Seems like it would be completely unenforceable to me but I would be interested to hear how it might work.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Whitty suggesting that he doesn’t think tier 3 will work.