Main Coronavirus / Covid-19 Discussion Thread

[WilburySeagull]

Given that the suggestion now being ade is that social distancing in some form may be required for up to 12 months if games do restart at some point they will be behind closed doors.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

It'll end up in court. Unworkable. The only feasible option, should matters drag on substantially, is to scrap the 20/21 season.

Where do the teams get their money to pay their 2020/21 contracts if that happens ?

 

[Klaas]

Does anyone actually care about the football season at the moment? It’s strange for me to say this as I’m sport mental but I haven’t even thought about football or anything else for ages.

No, genuinely couldn't give a shit what happens. That said I was getting a bit bored of the annual trying to stay up campaign anyway.

 

[BN41Albion]

Generation DISGRACE

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A lot of elderly folk still milling around in large groups too, and children with families. It isn't just the youth. It's why elsewhere they've had to enforce military lockdown. It'll be the same here from tomorrow after Boris' briefing, I think.

 

[Triggaaar]

So Leeds and WBA wouldn't sue because they'd be worried about bad PR?

They've got no basis to sue. Did they win promotion - no.

 

[Triggaaar]

Generation DISGRACE

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Although I agree that it's a disgrace they're all out, it's not like all the older generation are being sensible. Plenty of them are out when they shouldn't be.

 

[Swansman]

Swedish PM is going to adress the nation tonight... surely hope the slackest rules Europe dies tonight.

Elementary schools still open, social distancing is only advised for 70+, Swedish equivalent of the EFL is pushing politicians to remove the "no 500+ gatherings rule" so that we could play football from May 1, city after city prematurely allowing restaurants and bars to open their outdoor teraces in order to "help business". Its a joke but since we've so far gone all in on following the steps of UK (but with some delay) I really hope some important decisions are announced tonight.

 

[Marty___Mcfly]

When's the cut off point then? Or, when teams are able to play, we finish the last 10 games even if that is Dec! So that has an affect on players contracts which finish on 30th June. It will have an affect on tv contracts which are built around the normal season. It will have an effect on European competitions if they start before we've sorted out the league positions. It will mean the next season will start sometime in the beginning of 2021 which will affect the following season after that and also possibly run into the Euros. Clubs would have to release players for the Euros or suspend the season until the Euros are complete which will have a knock on effect to the 21/22 season which is already disrupted by the stupid Qatar World Cup!!

One of the nationals did an analysis and estimated that, if push came to shove, 13 out of 20 EPL clubs would vote to void the season (they would need one more to pass the rule). That was when the league was only suspended until 4th April!

There is no cut off point. It will always be possible to recommence this season and complete, no matter when football re-starts.

Then it will be necessary to plan forward for the subsequent seasons, which includes a World Cup Nov-Dec 2022.

I imagine some competitions will have to be ditched for a season or two. Could be domestic cups. Will the Euros happen next summer? No one knows.

We are the denial phase. Anyone thinking it will all be back to normal with pre-season in the summer and all the 20/21 competitions running as normal, is, I would suggest, in denial.

Accept that things will not be normal for a number of seasons. Whatever happens about this season. In that context, I think it’s likely they will try to conclude this season- it would cause less mess.

 

[drew]

So Leeds and WBA wouldn't sue because they'd be worried about bad PR?

Sorry, should have made it clearer, the only clubs that could possibly reasonably sue for losses would be those that are currently in Champions League/Europa League positions and weren't last year or those clubs that are in higher places now than they were last year who'll miss out on enhanced payments depending on final positions. Leeds and WBA have got nothing to do with it. They, unlike the 20 clubs in the EPL, don't have a vote (remember, the EPL is a private company wholly owned by the 20 clubs in it).

If the domestic leagues were capable of starting say Oct or Nov then I doubt Uefa would be keen to completely right off their prestige competition and likewise the FA. Similarly, I doubt Fifa will be prioritising domestic leagues finishing off this season if it jeopardises their prestige event.

Whether the leagues could commence then remains to be seen bearing in mind some experts are talking about social distancing for at least a year.

 

[The Wizard]

Saunders park packed full of people, what on Earth is going on in this world. Honestly no words anymore, making me quite anxious.

Just seen this on twitter, lockdown is the only answer. Simple as that.

https://twitter.com/dinosofos/status/1241697657690734593?s=21

 

[Triggaaar]

A calm, realistic take on the virus and the reaction to it;

Abdu Sharkawy - Doctor and infectious diseases specialist.


I'm a doctor and an Infectious Diseases Specialist. I've been at this for more than 20 years seeing sick patients on a daily basis. I have worked in inner city hospitals and in the poorest slums of Africa. HIV-AIDS, Hepatitis,TB, SARS, Measles, Shingles, Whooping cough, Diphtheria...there is little I haven't been exposed to in my profession. And with notable exception of SARS, very little has left me feeling vulnerable, overwhelmed or downright scared.
I am not scared of Covid-19. I am concerned about the implications of a novel infectious agent that has spread the world over and continues to find new footholds in different soil. I am rightly concerned for the welfare of those who are elderly, in frail health or disenfranchised who stand to suffer mostly, and disproportionately, at the hands of this new scourge. But I am not scared of Covid-19.

What I am scared about is the loss of reason and wave of fear that has induced the masses of society into a spellbinding spiral of panic, stockpiling obscene quantities of anything that could fill a bomb shelter adequately in a post-apocalyptic world. I am scared of the N95 masks that are stolen from hospitals and urgent care clinics where they are actually needed for front line healthcare providers and instead are being donned in airports, malls, and coffee lounges, perpetuating even more fear and suspicion of others. I am scared that our hospitals will be overwhelmed with anyone who thinks they " probably don't have it but may as well get checked out no matter what because you just never know..." and those with heart failure, emphysema, pneumonia and strokes will pay the price for overfilled ER waiting rooms with only so many doctors and nurses to assess.
I am scared that travel restrictions will become so far reaching that weddings will be canceled, graduations missed and family reunions will not materialize. And well, even that big party called the Olympic Games...that could be kyboshed too. Can you even
imagine?
I'm scared those same epidemic fears will limit trade, harm partnerships in multiple sectors, business and otherwise and ultimately culminate in a global recession.

But mostly, I'm scared about what message we are telling our kids when faced with a threat. Instead of reason, rationality, openmindedness and altruism, we are telling them to panic, be fearful, suspicious, reactionary and self-interested.
Covid-19 is nowhere near over. It will be coming to a city, a hospital, a friend, even a family member near you at some point. Expect it. Stop waiting to be surprised further. The fact is the virus itself will not likely do much harm when it arrives. But our own behaviors and "fight for yourself above all else" attitude could prove disastrous.

I implore you all. Temper fear with reason, panic with patience and uncertainty with education. We have an opportunity to learn a great deal about health hygiene and limiting the spread of innumerable transmissible diseases in our society. Let's meet this challenge together in the best spirit of compassion for others, patience, and above all, an unfailing effort to seek truth, facts and knowledge as opposed to conjecture, speculation and catastrophizing.
Facts not fear. Clean hands. Open hearts.
Our children will thank us for it.

2 weeks later that's not looking like a calm, realistic take on the virus, it's looking like a poor misjudgement.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

https://youtu.be/NPcBMQjBftY

Sent from my SM-A600FN using Tapatalk

 

[The Clamp]

2 weeks later that's not looking like a calm, realistic take on the virus, it's looking like a poor misjudgement.

Quite

 

[ManOfSussex]

I just heard anecdotally from my Dad that several pubs in Newport, Gwent have been broken into overnight and booze nicked.

Anyone know of anything where they are?

 

[Notters]

Saunders park packed full of people, what on Earth is going on in this world. Honestly no words anymore, making me quite anxious.

Just seen this on twitter, lockdown is the only answer. Simple as that.

https://twitter.com/dinosofos/status/1241697657690734593?s=21

That's sick.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Saunders park packed full of people, what on Earth is going on in this world. Honestly no words anymore, making me quite anxious.

Just seen this on twitter, lockdown is the only answer. Simple as that.

https://twitter.com/dinosofos/status/1241697657690734593?s=21

That won't look so clever in a couple of weeks with rising hundreds dieing per day.

 

[Triggaaar]

Tesco Hove almost back to normality now.

I was there in a queue before it opened at 10. At 25 past, Tesco security said there were too many of us, the aisles were full of people, and they were going to let the elderly and frail in. So I left.

Not exactly normal.

 

[ManOfSussex]

Why are there soldiers in barracks doing **** all? Why aren't the police out to inform people on the streets about social distancing?

 

[CheeseRolls]

I am no expert in this field - so make of this what you like, it is just my opinion.

Herd Immunity - What a load of old Bollocks!!! Please stop clinging to this embarrassing phrase, it just will not happen.

We are talking about a virus that was capable of jumping species and then spreading rapidly. I think it is going to mutate and develop multiple strains, which is what flu does. In all likelyhood, people who have been infected will have some immunity to the original strain, but mutations?

Deep Mind the UK AI capability Google acquired has had a go at cracking the protein structure. Reading through some of this and with my limited understanding, it felt like trying to predict a snooker match. Right now we can safely say that even on a bad day Ronnie O'Sullivan would beat me 10 frames to nil every day for a week. Where we need to be on this to be able to develop a vaccine, is to be able to accurately predict the position of every ball 20 shots into a frame. Resources put behind this, will be almost limitless, it is still going to take time to develop a vaccine.

If there is no sign of a vaccine, a policy of mass isolation, feels like a political response, rather than a containment strategy. Except of course, as we are seeing, whether it is sport, music the arts or just going on holiday. Which is worst a blanket ban or lots of chaotic last minute cancellations as performers and or venues are unable to get healthy people in the right place at the right time? I would argue that the spread of the virus should not be the only consideration here in terms of directing government policy.

Respiratory problems, in theory should be less of an issue in dry warm summers, versus damp cold winters, except for atmospheric pollution. So will we see restrictions on vehicle usage over the summer, or are we just happy to let the vulnerable die?

If you are an expert advisor to the government, you have two choices, walk away immediately they do something you don't agree with, or hang around hoping you can gain more influence inside the camp as things progress. If nothing else you will probably get a knighthood out of it. Don't for a minute believe that in these circumstances the experts are either in agreement or leading the direction of travel.

Your first sentence is appropriately humble.

The rest of your post flies in the face of your first sentence.

As for the end of your post, two questions,

1. Are you saying the the government expert advisors are speaking under duress, saying things they don't believe? In the hope of a Knighthood?

2. If they are not leading the direction of travel, if we are not really being guided by the science, who do you think is leading the direction of travel? and guided by what?

[MENTION=18559]dingodan[/MENTION], [MENTION=18559]dingodan[/MENTION], can you hear me [MENTION=18559]dingodan[/MENTION]

Herd Immunity revealed as a Dom thing and totally discredited, as the load of old bollocks I said it was.
There is already believed to be two strains of the virus.
Nudge theory no longer dominating the government response.
Policy to let thousands of pensioners needlessly die, abandoned.
UK finally moves towards islation after France threatens to close the border.

Still nowhere near enough being done on testing, especially for key health and care workers, but also for anyone who has been in contact with infected individuals. (Otherwise what is the point in self isolation, if you can't isolate the virus?)

 

[The Wizard]

Total lockdown - predictions thread anyone?