Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[LinekersLegs]

Is there any point to these types of comparisons between the BAME population and the 'white' population?

They are all explained by econominc and socio-cultural factors; it's nothing to do with 'ethnicity' or anything inherent to a person's ethnicity.

It seems to me that they're published and dwelt upon to try and calm and pacify the majority white population that 'that lot are getting it worse than us'.

That is certainly not my understanding, unless you can point me to some medical papers confirming it that I’ve missed. From what I’ve read, we don’t know anything for certain so it is most definitely worth further investigating and highlighting, not least so those communities are aware of a higher risk.

 

[Archie Knox]

And Liverpool FC are 'outraged' at any idea their kamikaze fans will gather in their thousands around Anfield if they had the title handed to them.

The shame is that everybody in the world knows they would ignore any kind of distancing rules to organise absolutely massive unofficial parades, parties, etc. This whole "The Spirit of Shankly promised us / speaks for the entire Liverpool fan base" is utter nonsense. Yet that's what will be taken as gospel in order to push through the restart: Liverpool fans assured us that they will all stay at home after they win their first title in 30 years. And once all of the parties, gatherings and parades have taken place, not one punishment will be made.

 

[davek]

I don’t know. I would expect hospitals to exercise duty of care but some things would no doubt be blown up politically.....

I think I read a report about Filipino nurses in particular being a desperate case. They are generally not complainers and dont give hospital admin a hard time, and they've been exploited because of it.

This is a bureaucratic issue as much as anything.

 

[Barnfred 55]

I think it's all about timing and doing things gradually. The first steps in the next few weeks are likely to be very small so I think it could be the right time to start soon.

The key part is how the government message things though. They need to be very clear that small relaxations of the rules do not mean things are normal. I worry people will take a slight change as the go ahead to do anything they like, so it's important they are very clear about what still isn't ok. But equally a small relaxation will give people a bit of hope that there's light.

I'll save my criticism until after his speech on Sunday. There are many on here who will have a pop whatever he does. Like you I hope he doesn't open up too much too quick, and this is more about giving us some idea on timescales for when we can open certain services once new infection rates drop significantly

 

[AUXLEN]

My boss has done a complete about-face...wanting me to start driving up and down the country to see customers from Tuesday. I have refused so (vulnerable Diabetes) so dunno where I stand...

 

[COYBL25]

I've gone for the walnut whip look mate. But it's beginning to annoy me.

If there's no mention of barbers in Sunday's message I'll probably follow your suit. The missus is already looking at clipper deals on the web.

What number setting did you use?

Number 2, bottled it at a number 1.

I look like the Tefal man !

 

[mahermi1]

I've gone for the walnut whip look mate. But it's beginning to annoy me.

If there's no mention of barbers in Sunday's message I'll probably follow your suit. The missus is already looking at clipper deals on the web.

What number setting did you use?

My missus destroyed mine in under a minute, so be careful, my son kind of rescued it a bit by using his beard trimmer.
That was three weeks ago, now I'm starting to look like Chucky again.... Going to have to bite the bullet and let my lad do it again, but at the end of my shift this week, then at least it has four days to regrow, not vain at all, but will admit I'm feeling a little tense already....

 

[tsubaki]

I'll save my criticism until after his speech on Sunday. There are many on here who will have a pop whatever he does. Like you I hope he doesn't open up too much too quick, and this is more about giving us some idea on timescales for when we can open certain services once new infection rates drop significantly

You can have a pop at him now though; any speech of this national importance has to be made in the Commons.

 

[mahermi1]

Number 2, bottled it at a number 1.

I look like the Tefal man !

Your lucky at least no criticism will stick, sorry I'll get my coat.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I'm being repsonsible and acting like a decent citizen in any way I can with family, friends and neighbours. Sorry if that's not enough for you and I should be training to become a doctor or creating a vaccine or something.

By the way, WTF are YOU doing that's positive?

Here's what I see youlre doing: providing apologies (couched as 'context') for a government that's utterly failed its own people. Maybe you should own that - your own agenda?

That's pretty much my point. You have, understandably, reacted very defensively should anyone criticise what you are doing. How can anyone possibly do that? They don't know you. They don't know your circumstances. Yet you read tidbits in newspapers and rip to shreds the efforts of those who, almost without question, are busting their arse trying to tackle thing thing. What's more, you go as far as to suggest they are deliberately murdering people.

We've spoken above about the risk to ethnic minorities. Probably 90% of my wife's team are of African or Caribbean descent, and they're scared shitless at the moment, to the extent that even with a full dose of PPE, they're refusing to physically visit families where children are at risk, there's domestic violence going on, the families are struggling to find any food to eat, or any number of other shitty situations that form part of the statistics people slather over each day. Behind every one of those statistics sits a story of these kind of complexities that people rip apart from behind their computer. You think that's right?

Neither of us are knowing victory nor defeat in all this, which prompts me to keep my mouth shut. Maybe you should do likewise.

 

[Barnfred 55]

The relaxation of restrictions is inevitable, but the question is when and how they take place. I think we all expect a phased return, with a token gesture next week.

If it's a quick and sudden removal, I really do worry that we'll see a large spike in cases that will itself add even more damage than the first, like @Charro suggests.

I worry that the government are probably looking at the NHS capacity and thinking, well how much can we relax before this is overrun - alas accepting more deaths.

I also worry that people are already becoming so disenchanted with the lock-down, basically ignoring it, that Sunday's advice will not be fully heeded anyway.

"They said we can do now do A, so I'll do A, B and C because I know better*..." *By know better, I mean they're ignorant, egotistical tossers.

This basically.

It's a terribly hard job weighing the medical emergency against the economic one and balancing the two. It's a no win situation for them.

At the moment the medical side holds preference, and let's hope we never get to the stage that the scales tip towards the economy because then we're really in the sh••

 

[Bruce Wayne]

TBF unions aren’t campaigning for whole workplaces to be shut down now, more that they have to be safe and that the workforce shouldn’t bear the brunt of any changes (which was behind most train strikes, certainly of my lifetime).

I agree about Labour having to deal with the same CS, but I’d hope they would have provided better leadership from the top than this shower have.

It's possible. We'll never know. The cabinet is stuffed full of chancers, but I sincerely hope that collectively the country, and indeed humanity more broadly, manages to overcome that and get through this.

 

[Aberblue]

Socio-economic disadvantage explains some, but not all, of the differences.

One thing occurs to me - men are more likely than women to suffer from this virus, and black & ethnic minorities apparently suffer more than white people; since so many teams in the Prem have black players, surely these players are greatly at risk? Is it fair to expose them to this danger?

 

[peteblue]

And they all scurry for the bunker, rats...

Piers Morgan-

The UK Govt has banned any ministers from appearing on @gmb after a series of them made complete fools of themselves in the face of basic & important questions.
This is a pathetic & cowardly response to THEIR shameful incompetence.
cc
@BorisJohnson
.
@10DowningStreet

Quite right too. If he can’t behave in a civil manner, why should anyone subject themselves to his self righteous ego trip....

 

[ForeverBlue92]

One thing occurs to me - men are more likely than women to suffer from this virus, and black & ethnic minorities apparently suffer more than white people; since so many teams in the Prem have black players, surely these players are greatly at risk? Is it fair to expose them to this danger?

Are men typically more susceptible to illness than women in general?

I know there is the joke of "man flu" but isn't there some scientific evidence that illness can affect men worse?