Main Coronavirus / Covid-19 Discussion Thread

[GT49er]

Just received the BBC news flash regarding Prince Charles who has been confirmed as having Covid-19 but only showing mild symptoms.

How come they have the facilities to test him but my wife who is a carer in a residential home for severely physically and mentally disabled adults can’t get tested.

The residents have been tested but not the staff - the result is that any staff members showing the slightest symptoms have to self isolate and consequently the home is severely understaffed - my wife has had to do a number of double shifts and worked without a day off in the last 17 days! The staff self-isolating would happily return to work if they were tested and shown to be clear of the virus.

The only protection the staff have are disposable aprons and flimsy face masks to protect the residents not the staff. Staff have to carry out tasks involving extremely close contact with residents including assisting them using the toilet, brushing their teeth, dressing and feeding them.

I know it was only one test regarding Prince Charles but the principle is simply wrong!

Couldn't agree more. My youngest daughter is in the same position as your wife (and yes, it is a real shitty job too), and is working 60-70 hours a week plus. At best, those sort of hours are going to leave her run-down health-wise. Testing? No chance.
I'm still waiting to hear what the 'criteria' were that HRH and the Duchess satisfied to qualify for testing ................ I expect we'll wait a long, long time.

 

[beorhthelm]

Couldn't agree more. My youngest daughter is in the same position as your wife (and yes, it is a real shitty job too), and is working 60-70 hours a week plus. At best, those sort of hours are going to leave her run-down health-wise. Testing? No chance.
I'm still waiting to hear what the 'criteria' were that HRH and the Duchess satisfied to qualify for testing ................ I expect we'll wait a long, long time.

would have thought it was obvious, private health.

*got that wrong.

 

[The Wookiee]

Only a bit of dark humour, not trivialising anything

I took it in the way you intended!

 

[GT49er]

would have thought it was obvious, private health.

I assume you're talking about the criteria that HRH, and not a suggestion for what my daughter should turn to.

Charles and Camilla were tested by the NHS.

 

[beorhthelm]

I assume you're talking about the criteria that HRH, and not a suggestion for what my daughter should turn to.

Charles and Camilla were tested by the NHS.

fair enough, i understand your question and complaint.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Italy losing 600-800 people per day in the last 5 days, how long can it go on for? Horrible really, it’s sad to think that we could be in the same situation on a few weeks.

Both the deaths and the number of cases are down on yesterday. though obviously still horrible. When the best / worst case scenarios for the UK from the models two weeks ago were 20,000 - 250,000 dead what were people expecting? Any downward trend that is sustainable shows we're over the hump and the measures are working.

 

[Stoichkov]

I can't believe the death toll figures for today aren't out. Who is holding them back?

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Are they going to wheel out an ashen-faced Johnson in front of the cameras tonight to report on the figures ?

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

Now they've agreed the bill in the Senate I'm waiting to see if I qualify for the $1,200 cheque in the post

 

[dingodan]

I can't believe the death toll figures for today aren't out. Who is holding them back?

28 deaths today in England apparently. If that's true, that's pretty positive.

If the UK were carrying on on the Italian curve, I believe we should be on >800 but we are still <500.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

28 deaths today in England apparently. If that's true, that's pretty positive.

If the UK were carrying on on the Italian curve, I believe we should be on >800 but we are still <400.

If that's true then something somewhere is working.

 

[dingodan]

If that's true then something somewhere is working.

Yep, although I should have said that we are <500 currently. Still positive though. I was expecting another rise today, i.e. 100+ deaths in the last 24 hours. 28 today after 87 yesterday is something positive.

In terms of Italy, we are looking at 11 March for the two week comparison.

So 827 in Italy two weeks ago. UK current total is 462. Positive trend, hopefully it will continue.

 

[Notters]

If that's true then something somewhere is working.

Almost seems fishy. I'm no conspiracy theorist but there seems more to this than meets the eye. Unless perhaps the NHS is using a drug treatment after indications of efficacy elsewhere? Quinine?

 

[The Wizard]

That seems like a quite implausible dramatic reduction at this stage of the outbreak, odd one! Hope it’s true. Perhaps new drugs being trialed?

 

[Beach Hut]

I did not realise France death figures are only those from hospitals and are to be corrected shortly to include care homes

 

[dazzer6666]

Startlingly low figure.........was expecting something like 100+ today. Waiting to see any official comment on it.

 

[Beach Hut]

Figures for UK confirmed on BBC

 

[atomised]

UK total at 468

 

[The Oldman]

My concern is that after this weekend we will se a big rise in 14 days time.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Almost seems fishy. I'm no conspiracy theorist but there seems more to this than meets the eye. Unless perhaps the NHS is using a drug treatment after indications of efficacy elsewhere? Quinine?

Personally I believe the figure if that's what has been released. Massaging the figures would only lead to problems later when things either ramped up a lot or when things were on the surface cooling down. People would in one case start to panic, in the other there would be a premature clamour for restrictions to be lifted earlier than was safe.

I think those kinds of shenanigans happen in Russia and China but I don't think so here.