Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[Barnfred 55]

Not in the industry - just know that here in the US the head of FDA and CDC are appointed by the president so likely to get people who generally fit the same politics. Not sure if Dr Fauci‘s position is the same but he’s been head of the NIH for years which has probably been a factor in his different approach to Trump. So at least here in the US it would have been a different team of people so wondered if same in UK.

The two parties here also have vastly different donor bases so would have likely had different outside factors pressuring them - am guessing in the UK a labour government would have had nurses union reps on the phone more often for instance.

I didn’t think Americans would vote Trump in the first time so I’m a very poor judge of whether they will a second time!

Sorry. Don't know what made me think you were a doctor. lol

Whitty has only been in the role since last year but his predecessors all seemed to be in situ for well over 10 years so it does seem to be a career role rather than a political one.

 

[LinekersLegs]

 

[COYBL25]

Down in Cornwall less than 600 have tested positive, and only 178 in total have died, with roughly one third of those being in care homes. Yesterday there were 4 new cases in the county and 3 the day before.

If you did an antibodies test in Cornwall I wouldn't be surprised if less than 1% have had it, which makes us pretty vulnerable to a second outbreak.

I'm not unduly concerned about the current loosening of the guidelines. Cornwall is so remote few will travel here for the day apart from Devon, who's figures are almost as low as ours. But so many of our small business's rely on tourism and literally tens of thousands of jobs will go if we don't open up this summer. It really is a quandary for the county and it's inhabitants, who so far have had it pretty easy by comparison to the rest of the country.

The problem Cornwall has with tourists isn’t the beaches or the likes, it’s the tiny little villages and towns, like Port Isaac, Mevagissey, Padstow etc which are rammed in the Summer.

How would you maintain social distancing in places such as this ?

Even reduced numbers would make it difficult due to the narrow lanes, tiny shops and cafes etc.

 

[Toast]

Burnham on Question Time.

Talks well this fella.

 

[LinekersLegs]

Interesting article of tracing and some of the barriers tracers will face.

UK's first contact-tracing group warns of difficulties

This bit was particularly worrying

He added: “We’re talking here about a major problem and a major deficiency particularly around health and care workers. My analogy is that health and care workers are unwittingly acting as the vectors of this … spread.”

The group’s volunteers had the authority of GP practices and a well-respected community development organisation yet were unable to convince people to self-isolate. Jones thinks the government scheme – due to be up and running by 1 June staffed by 25,000 contact tracers, most of them call handlers with a script and minimal training – will fare no better.

“I feel sad to have to say this but the whole way that this is unfolding – I have no confidence in the government. The app has failed, they’ve failed in their testing, on their PPE. I wouldn’t put any money on their sorting out this contact tracing,” Jones said.

 

[Neiler]

Sweden’s death toll unnerves its Nordic neighbours | Free to read

Denmark, Finland and Norway look at maintaining travel restrictions even as they prepare to open up to others

www.ft.com

 

[Neiler]

Ok.

 

[Jebus_lives]

Well I'm glad to have addressed your misconception.

Yes. I wouldn't want anyone to think that the best advice, 'a belt and braces approach to staying virus free' let's say, is to wear gloves as if they provide any greater protection than normal.

I think it's a little dangerous, where someone may have a misconception, to provide them with the best available advice, rather than encourage them to continue with it.

 

[Neiler]

An amazing coincidence that all the stupidest people in Ireland, headed to the same place, on the same day, at the same time yesterday.

 

[Jebus_lives]

I don’t know who is advising the government tbh. At the beginning it seemed to be the CMO and CSA, that quickly turned after the Imperial College forecast. SAGE appears to be a changing group of departmental CMO’s and CSA’s , and PHE is keeping its head down. At the beginning of this, like millions of others, I put my trust and the lives of my family into the hands of the Medical and Scientific experts. Now anyone who knows me on here will know that I have little regard for certain ‘experts’ who are looking at the same data that I am, but coming up with the wrong conclusions. So if you are now saying that the government are listening to the wrong people, or that the people are not qualified to give an opinion, then you should tell the appropriate people.....

I think he might be saying that the Government aren't listening at all.

Also, what data have you been looking at prior to the outbreak and throughout the response that is informing you?

 

[Neiler]

 

[Nymzee]

Ok.

Christ, the first woman on that should never have been allowed kids.

 

[Neiler]

I'm not sure if people saw today's briefing, but it was announced that antibody tests on the population showed that 17% of Londoners tested positive, which, combined with social distancing, explains why transmissions have dropped off a cliff there.

The average across the country was 5%, which is a staggering difference and shows just how much quicker the virus was spreading in London pre-lockdown.

Id be a bit cautious on that a sample of 17%, is a bit different from the whole of London, could be many variables.

 

[DrEFC]

I don’t know who is advising the government tbh. At the beginning it seemed to be the CMO and CSA, that quickly turned after the Imperial College forecast. SAGE appears to be a changing group of departmental CMO’s and CSA’s , and PHE is keeping its head down. At the beginning of this, like millions of others, I put my trust and the lives of my family into the hands of the Medical and Scientific experts. Now anyone who knows me on here will know that I have little regard for certain ‘experts’ who are looking at the same data that I am, but coming up with the wrong conclusions. So if you are now saying that the government are listening to the wrong people, or that the people are not qualified to give an opinion, then you should tell the appropriate people.....

What 'experts'? How do you do that Pete, and how do you make them listen? I can only do things to help people on a local level, and it's not a conspiracy that the reporting of this pandemic has been very favourable towards the government. Doctors and scientists have been ignored time and time again (note the government staff went against the advice of almost every reputable scientist here and abroad), nevermind the pandemic walkthrough a few years back which exposed the inadequacy of the country to deal with something like this.

 

[DrEFC]

Well he went in on the Tuesday and they started the chemo on the Thursday so he must have had the quick one. You say false negative rates are appalling? That's scary, especially for somebody like my brother who was having 5 days of intensive chemo when his own immune system would be completely wiped out. Anyway he's out now so everything must have been OK, but I'm glad we weren't having this conversation last week.

>25% false negatives! Speedy recovery to your brother.