Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[mrb85]

not ignoring the short falls in a extensive pandemic training study 4 years ago would be a start, asking why we are behind pretty much the rest of europe would be another. Or we can go back over haf a century to avoid blaming the tories and pumping up stupid nationalism

What? Nationalism is to blame for the epidemic? Wow.

 

[roydo]

If it wasn’t for the tobacco, alcohol and food industries we’d be a phenomenally healthy nation.

But all hopeless gambling addicts cos life would be so miserable.

 

[PhilM]

It was a lot more ready for pandemics - there were more beds, more staff, and more of an emphasis on public health. Huge amounts of work were done to eradicate previous illnesses and improve the general health of the nation. If it wasn’t for the tobacco, alcohol and food industries we’d be a phenomenally healthy sort.

Obviously the science wasn’t as developed and they didn’t have many of the treatment options that exist nowadays, but it had more capacity to do something than it does now.

Slightly off topic I know, however I think our younger generations than twenty-five) will be considerably healthier than all those who've came before.

Smoking is down significantly, % of the population consuming alcohol is less (with those who do having less) and many more people are now food conscious.

Throw in exercise as well and you've got a much brighter situation although you have to balance it with a shift in common work conditions - less physical work.

There'll still be issues with processed meat/food, obesity and gaming/social media etc., but I think (quasi-unscientifically) that they are more health conscious.

 

[tsubaki]

Slightly off topic I know, however I think our younger generations than twenty-five) will be considerably healthier than all those who've came before.

Smoking is down significantly, % of the population consuming alcohol is less (with those who do having less) and many more people are now food conscious.

Throw in exercise as well and you've got a much brighter situation although you have to balance it with a shift in common work conditions - less physical work.

There'll still be issues with processed meat/food, obesity and gaming/social media etc., but I think (quasi-unscientifically) that they are more health conscious.

they will, and I hope one of the outcomes of this crisis is that people realise how important air quality is too

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

not ignoring the short falls in a extensive pandemic training study 4 years ago would be a start, asking why we are behind pretty much the rest of europe would be another. Or we can go back over haf a century to avoid blaming the tories and pumping up stupid nationalism

Going into with war Junior Doctors fee charging nurses for training excetra all coming home to roost.

However, thankfully we can count on other country governments, but for G7 country this really is shameful state of affairs, the legacy of Tory Governance. Once again we are the sick men of Europe and further.

Germany to donate 60 ventilators to the NHS amid Covid-19 pandemic

Read our live updates on coronavirus HERE Coronavirus: The symptoms

www.standard.co.uk

Turkey sends plane full of emergency equipment to UK as death toll nears 9,000

The items arrived in boxes that read: ’After hopelessness, there is so much hope and after darkness, there is the much brighter sun.’

metro.co.uk

 

[Toast]

The BBC showed all sorts of comments when Prince Charles got tested, with actual symptoms and older than Dalglish.
Why's he getting a test ? etc.

Now Dalglish gets tested with no symptoms and the story is still top of the sports news.

They do know he's not an actual real King don't they ?

 

[Billy Dean]

Going into with war Junior Doctors fee charging nurses for training excetra all coming home to roost.

However, thankfully we can count on other country governments, but for G7 country this really is shameful state of affairs, the legacy of Tory Governance. Once again we are the sick men of Europe and further.

Germany to donate 60 ventilators to the NHS amid Covid-19 pandemic

Read our live updates on coronavirus HERE Coronavirus: The symptoms

www.standard.co.uk

Turkey sends plane full of emergency equipment to UK as death toll nears 9,000

The items arrived in boxes that read: ’After hopelessness, there is so much hope and after darkness, there is the much brighter sun.’

metro.co.uk

Thank Christ for other governments, professional footballers and clap appeals. And if only our medical professionals could just use their protective equipment correctly!

 

[Bruce Wayne]

the lack of infrastructure leading into the crisis is absolutely 100% down the government ideology of the last 10 years

Possibly. My impression is that hospital capacity has thus far coped pretty well with things, and you'll note that there have been none of the horrible scenes reported so vividly from Italian hospitals.

re: the social media point, it’s true that the loudest voices on it are invariably the worst (something equally true on the left, right and centre) but it is used by governments and media to push the same sort of opinions they put in print so often.

re: the second point, yes that would explain why a lot of the commentary is risible but not why it is so uncritical or even supportive, in fact them all being English graduates should make that less likely if they are behaving honestly.

As an example, look at this report on BBC News’ site:

Coronavirus: 'Herculean effort' to provide NHS protective gear

The health secretary reassures frontline staff that efforts are being made to get them the equipment they need.

www.bbc.co.uk

An English graduate from a public school who went to Oxford or Cambridge should know exactly what that headline is doing. It’s a disgrace, not least to the memory of Hercules.

Swings and roundabouts I suppose. Hancock's testing target, for instance, was largely done after being pressured into doing so by the press. It's a largely meaningless figure, but they like to have such easy to understand figures so they have someone to blame if/when it's not met and they can portray a simple narrative of utter failure or something.

We've sadly developed a mindset over probably a few decades that has portrayed politicians as not only omnipotent, but also 100% responsible for everything that happens, whether that's a positive outcome or a negative one. You've been in the civil services so know that isn't close to being true. There will have been mistakes made during this. Some will have been political mistakes, some will have been scientific mistakes, some will have been administrative mistakes. I dare say we would find the notion of criticizing a doctor or nurse who makes a mistake at the moment as daft as we take into account the intense pressure they're under. The same grace should be applied more broadly imo as I don't believe for one minute that people are deliberately trying to mess things up.

With respect, I wasn't talking about political ideology here mate.

Look at how Germany dealt with the disease, they took the decisions to close things down early and heeded all of the guidelines the WHO were providing. For whatever reason, our government decided that we were to be a exception to that rule and now we have over 1,000 people dying daily.

I don't know enough about the ins and outs of their response to really comment. One thing that is perhaps an interesting aspect to explore (at a later date) is Merkel's background as a scientist. I think Thatcher was the last British PM to come from a science background. Whether that helps in situations like this, I don't know.

I'm sorry, I dont understand this. Care to explain?

You had a bit of a mare the other day Dave.

 

[davek]

Going into with war Junior Doctors fee charging nurses for training excetra all coming home to roost.

However, thankfully we can count on other country governments, but for G7 country this really is shameful state of affairs, the legacy of Tory Governance. Once again we are the sick men of Europe and further.

Germany to donate 60 ventilators to the NHS amid Covid-19 pandemic

Read our live updates on coronavirus HERE Coronavirus: The symptoms

www.standard.co.uk

Turkey sends plane full of emergency equipment to UK as death toll nears 9,000

The items arrived in boxes that read: ’After hopelessness, there is so much hope and after darkness, there is the much brighter sun.’

metro.co.uk

Confirmation that, on things that REALLY matter, this country has become a basket case banana republic on the edge of Europe.

A shameful moment in the nation's history.

Take a bow HM Government.

 

[Neiler]

Spoke to the mother-in-law yesterday in Czech, where it's law to wear a mask outside. They had a neighbour round for a cup of tea, and the extended family are having a get together at their weekend cottage. About 50 of them I believe. I think face palming is a universal language of disbelief. It must be the devil's own job to legislate for the sheer stupidity some people display.

They are doing relatively well though arent they, its a country i'm keeping an eye on given there policy on masks.

 

[davek]

You had a bit of a mare the other day Dave.

I dont think I did. I stated the facts of the matter in terms of Johnson's condition and compared them to the political spin about them. And events that have happened since bear out my presentation of those facts.

 

[tsubaki]

I don't know enough about the ins and outs of their response to really comment. One thing that is perhaps an interesting aspect to explore (at a later date) is Merkel's background as a scientist. I think Thatcher was the last British PM to come from a science background. Whether that helps in situations like this, I don't know.

TBF it probably helps in a lot situations that a politician or other leader has to face. The decline in ministerial experience in areas that aren’t politics or the media is one of the reasons the country is in such a state.

 

[Catfish Blues]

My father in law who has Leukemia had to drive to hospital and wait in the car park for them to bring out his medication.
So maybe picking up medication is different across the country.

Dalglish went in for a course of IV antibiotics mate, not something you can pick up in a paper bag. If they've been feeding antibiotics in via a line, then he ain't a well man.

 

[Joey66]

The BBC showed all sorts of comments when Prince Charles got tested, with actual symptoms and older than Dalglish.
Why's he getting a test ? etc.

Now Dalglish gets tested with no symptoms and the story is still top of the sports news.

They do know he's not an actual real King don't they ?

The Kopites still think Kenny is King - or money talks......I would imagine the gentry and the rich will pay to get tested - that's why they have BUPA......

 

[Joey66]

I dont think I did. I stated the facts of the matter in terms of Johnson's condition and compared them to the political spin about them. And events that have happened since bear out my presentation of those facts.

You contributed to his recovery lol