Main Coronavirus / Covid-19 Discussion Thread

[Mellotron]

I'm also looking at Spain (as we have a place there) which have far tougher lockdown conditions, but even they seem to be struggling. Although off their peak, new cases seem to be stuck around 4000 a day. I can only put this down to a combination of the poor health workers (25% appears to be the rate) and some that aren't taking the measures as seriously as they should. Dunno it's worrying though

I have a place in Spain too and I don't get what's happening in Spain either. Far stricter than us over the lock down, but still registering 4,000 a day. It is worrying. Italy that looked like hell on earth 8 weeks ago, seems to be doing much better.

This might give a little reassurance that the infection rate is easing in Spain;

Speaking at the government’s daily press conference on Monday, Fernando Simón, the director of the Health Ministry’s Coordination Center for Health Alerts, said that the figures on the number of hospitalizations and intensive care admissions were “very promising.”

“Today is the first time we have fallen below 400 [daily fatalities], with a 2% increase compared to yesterday,” he added.

Simón also explained that Spain had significantly increased PCR testing, which is the most reliable detector of the coronavirus. “We have gone from 200,000 [tests] to 700,000 [in a week]. We are doing nearly four times as many PCR tests, but the infection rate is falling a lot, even more than what we thought.” In the first week of testing, 26.8% of those tested were found to be positive for Covid-19, compared to 3.1% last week, which indicates the outbreak is slowing, said Simón.

 

[Is it PotG?]

As matey says regularly, and said again yesterday, the quandary between deaths and the economy is a fine one.

Add to that the knock-on effects of other undetected fatal conditions combined with delayed procedures to be caught up in the future, it's a balancing act that nobody would like to attempt. I certainly don't envy any decision maker right now.

 

[Rugrat]

This might give a little reassurance that the infection rate is easing in Spain;

Thanks ... getting behind some of these numbers isn't easy.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

That was very bleak from Whitty. Day by day the conferences get more and more depressing 30 days after the lockdown as nothing good seems to be coming from it. The new infections do not seem to be coming down at all and you would have thought 3 weeks in at the latest the measures would be having an impact so to say we will be in lockdown or close to it for a year is a very dangerous thing to share, might be true but the daily briefs just seem to be worst possible scenario, doomsday and not an ounce of positivity just reinforcing, stay at home with no exit plan or hope of any type. There will come a tipping point and I think quite soon where more and more people start to ask questions as to the " plan". As said at the end of the year there will be no economy left and the long term effects of this will kill off hundreds of thousands of people, indirectly. Basically none of us can see our parents for the next year or more and when they are elderly this is utterly devastating to all concerned

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Really enjoying watching CNN rather than our news, it's so much more entertaining.
The governor's and mayor's are fantastic.
Just had the Mayor of Vegas on.
" I want to open up the casinos"
"How are you going to do that and maintain safe distancing"
" I don't know do I, I don't own a casino"
The whole interview is brilliant.

 

[Napper]

I know people who’ve gone back to work already, in infrastructure, construction and building projects. Both for big businesses, and owner-managed, where the owners want to get the show back on the road. Explains the far greater number of vans on the road.

seems the 3 main things are schools / work / social pleasure.

You wont be able to unlock all 3 at a time so thats why works are all gearing up for the big return.

Social pleasure last but expect to see soe loosening of this if everyone is made to go back to work. Have to be realistic as otherwise people will just break it if working all week for nothing

Might be just my social groups but majority ready to just take the risk if need be. Small social distancing measures would certainly put a lid on that growing opinion

Intersting to see what happens.

 

[Napper]

That was very bleak from Whitty. Day by day the conferences get more and more depressing 30 days after the lockdown as nothing good seems to be coming from it. The new infections do not seem to be coming down at all and you would have thought 3 weeks in at the latest the measures would be having an impact so to say we will be in lockdown or close to it for a year is a very dangerous thing to share, might be true but the daily briefs just seem to be worst possible scenario, doomsday and not an ounce of positivity just reinforcing, stay at home with no exit plan or hope of any type. There will come a tipping point and I think quite soon where more and more people start to ask questions as to the " plan". As said at the end of the year there will be no economy left and the long term effects of this will kill off hundreds of thousands of people, indirectly. Basically none of us can see our parents for the next year or more and when they are elderly this is utterly devastating to all concerned

people wont put up with this forever , they will take their chances. Not living at the moment is it. OK for now but once works back then attitudes will change and are changing

 

[Is it PotG?]

people wont put up with this forever , they will take their chances. Not living at the moment is it. OK for now but once works back then attitudes will change and are changing

I think many people are more compassionate and caring about others than might be believed.

 

[atomised]

That was very bleak from Whitty. Day by day the conferences get more and more depressing 30 days after the lockdown as nothing good seems to be coming from it. The new infections do not seem to be coming down at all and you would have thought 3 weeks in at the latest the measures would be having an impact so to say we will be in lockdown or close to it for a year is a very dangerous thing to share, might be true but the daily briefs just seem to be worst possible scenario, doomsday and not an ounce of positivity just reinforcing, stay at home with no exit plan or hope of any type. There will come a tipping point and I think quite soon where more and more people start to ask questions as to the " plan". As said at the end of the year there will be no economy left and the long term effects of this will kill off hundreds of thousands of people, indirectly. Basically none of us can see our parents for the next year or more and when they are elderly this is utterly devastating to all concerned

The daily briefings frustrate me now. There is positive stuff out there but they are focused on the negative to the point that even if they were to reach 100000 tests a day by the end of april and the number of infections each day stayed similar to it's current level they would stick with the doom and gloom

 

[Napper]

I think many people are more compassionate and caring about others than might be believed.

I think you will also find that very much some of those at risk are the ones who are keen to get back to a life and take chances. I know of 5 very vulnerable people with this mindset.

Just an opinion from what i see and hear

Like I say , different groups have different outlooks and none can be dismissed if thats what is being felt and happening

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I think many people are more compassionate and caring about others than might be believed.

There are people that believe the present course of action will need to be questioned soon. To have over 70s under house arrest for the rest of their lives not seeing loved ones, friends and family is not very compassionate either imo. To be locked in a small room for 8 weeks so far not seeing another human being. People expect them to do this for 1-2 years, maybe forever ? Over 70s still have free will. What sort of life is that ?

 

[Albion Dan]

This is worth a read. A lot of experts are starting to challenge the current approach. The predicted (and overestimated imo) half a million do nothing scenario covid deaths are going to get absolutely dwarfed by the mortality caused by these type of distancing measures and the economic impact in the long term. We are already starting to see steep yoy increases in non covid related deaths.

Someone mentioned social elements of society not needing to return till after work return etc. The problem is huge amounts of the UK economy and people’s work are reliant on this sector. We need some real leadership right now and some tough decisions need to be made for the long term good of society.


https://www.theburningplatform.com/2020/03/26/12-experts-question-the-covid-19-panic/

 

[Is it PotG?]

There are people that believe the present course of action will need to be questioned soon. To have over 70s under house arrest for the rest of their lives not seeing loved ones, friends and family is not very compassionate either imo. To be locked in a small room for 8 weeks so far not seeing another human being. People expect them to do this for 1-2 years, maybe forever ? Over 70s still have free will. What sort of life is that ?

I should imagine that the 'house arrest' would go once a proven vaccine is on the prowl.

With regards to 'what sort of life is that?', it's still a life and once it's gone, it's gone.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I should imagine that the 'house arrest' would go once a proven vaccine is on the prowl.

With regards to 'what sort of life is that?', it's still a life and once it's gone, it's gone.

You might want to speak to some elderly people to see what their viewpoints are

 

[ManOfSussex]

I'll be interested this evening at 8pm to see if there's any 'clap for our carers' fatigue in addition to the lock down one.

 

[Solid at the back]

Some real idiots out this morning. FYI the 510k deaths wasn't the in full death total, that figure was the total deaths by August. Some absolute morons on here. Unbelievable.

 

[RossyG]

I should imagine that the 'house arrest' would go once a proven vaccine is on the prowl.

With regards to 'what sort of life is that?', it's still a life and once it's gone, it's gone.

But when’s the vaccine coming? One year, five years, ten years? No one knows...

 

[RossyG]

Some real idiots out this morning. FYI the 510k deaths wasn't the in full death total, that figure was the total deaths by August. Some absolute morons on here. Unbelievable.

How accurate was that prediction though? Was it a realistic number or was it just a huge terrifying random figure that the same modelling method pulled out of its arse for SARS and bird flu?

 

[Notters]

Lots of B & Qs now reopening (though not Brighton or Bradford - my local - by the looks of it).

 

[Is it PotG?]

You might want to speak to some elderly people to see what their viewpoints are

Good idea.

The ones I have spoken with have expressed a strong desire to see the end of all this, summer 2021 and beyond.