Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[Barnfred 55]

I can't recall exactly when the app was first announced, but if you presume development of it started relatively early on, then they've had several weeks to recruit and train contact tracing personnel and get that side of things in order. Have other countries had similar issues? It just seems that with the number of unemployed at the moment that there will be no shortage of willing bodies.

Most of what I know on the matter has come from articles you have posted yourself, so if you don't know what chance have the rest of us?

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

I don't understand most peoples concerns about privacy when the majority of people have already given up their privacy freely to facebook, google, and other forms of social media that all know vastly more about individuals lives than the government would be able to obtain throught this app, even if I was prone to believing they would misuse it.

Have they given it freely? How do these companies store the data compared to this app?

It's a shame stuff like this always affects the poorest people the worst.

Still not getting a phone to have the app and from all accounts a modern smart phone is needed so it's already dismissing swathes of people for various economic reasons.


Even if someone supplies me with a required phone would not touch it because of the privacy management issues and the fact Cummings and his mates are all over it. And thanks to Johnsons judgment has undermined this process as well.

Jobs and good un.

 

[Barnfred 55]

I was thinking that London, with its reliance on its transport network for the daily commute and high population density, wouldn't be a great choice.

The home counties however may be a better choice, but then you'd have the political aspect; even if it was London, you'd have the South vs. North argument.

I'm not advocating that it shouldn't be done by the way, but rather raising the point that rightly or wrongly the decision would be politicised very quickly.

The London transport system would certainly test the capabilities of this new app. Would it even work underground?

 

[tsubaki]

I was thinking that London, with its reliance on its transport network for the daily commute and high population density, wouldn't be a great choice.

The home counties however may be a better choice, but then you'd have the political aspect; even if it was London, you'd have the South vs. North argument.

I'm not advocating that it shouldn't be done by the way, but rather raising the point that rightly or wrongly the decision would be politicised very quickly.

TBF London would have been the best area to include in a test (maybe not the first test) - the problems that the tube, the population density etc are going to be greatest here and so need to be ironed out / identified.

 

[Brennan]

Such bad timing releasing this test, trace and isolate strategy now. The country is incensed after the Cummings fiasco. How do we expect the public to adhere to anything that comes from this shambles of a Government after their handling of it?

Well personally I would hope the British public aren’t so stupid as to disregard live saving measures because of the actions of one man. Personal responsibility ?

The Cummings thing needs to be put to one side at this point, hes not going and there are far more important things to be worrying about.

 

[navidson]

Wasn't it this week that millions of immunity tests would become available?

Tick tock

 

[PhilM]

TBF London would have been the best area to include in a test (maybe not the first test) - the problems that the tube, the population density etc are going to be greatest here and so need to be ironed out / identified.

Exactly. London would be the real test for its capabilities, but I would have thought they’d want to scale it up in phases with added factors at each stage.

My point, perhaps not well put, was that London’s density and complex transport structure may overburden it or provide a false image of its positives.

See if it works in a large town with a simplified transport network (binary: in and out) and then move up over a series of days or weeks.

 

[Harryflashman]

Wasn't it this week that millions of immunity tests would become available?

Tick tock

Apologies if it’s been discussed but they’ve actually stopped the labs send out any more antibody testing kits if they’ve not already been ordered .

 

[navidson]

Apologies if it’s been discussed but they’ve actually stopped the labs send out any more antibody testing kits if they’ve not already been ordered .

Why?!

 

[COYBL25]

Well personally I would hope the British public aren’t so stupid as to disregard live saving measures because of the actions of one man. Personal responsibility ?

The Cummings thing needs to be put to one side at this point, hes not going and there are far more important things to be worrying about.

From what I`m seeing when I go out for my daily run, the "Cummings effect " combined with the glorious weather has given the usual suspects just the excuse they needed to do what they want.

There seems to have been a change in older peoples habits too, as up until a couple of weeks ago I`d see them out walking at all times of the day ( due to it being quiet ) and due to the " Cummings effect " they seem to have retreated back indoors or are now going out for a walk really early before the parks etc fill up.

 

[ramacca]

Fake news that comes out of the Cummings/Wakefield household.

Quarantine article by Cummings' wife reported to regulator

 

[Harryflashman]

Why?!

At least one lab accuses the government of ‘playing politics ‘ in an email which seems strong . There are a number of theories , speculation is they’re concerned those testing for antibodies might simply choose to ignore the lockdown rules meaning a loss of control or simply that the government are trying to keep control of the narrative .

personally I’d have thought they’d have been happy for those with the money to waste paid for Their own tests .

 

[pierceck]

Well personally I would hope the British public aren’t so stupid as to disregard live saving measures because of the actions of one man. Personal responsibility ?

The Cummings thing needs to be put to one side at this point, hes not going and there are far more important things to be worrying about.

You would hope so but the government’s pathetic backing of the one man you mention has soured the good will. Their actions have incensed the public to such a point that they will now see their own individual flouting of the lockdown as a two fingered salute to Johnson and Cummings. It’s dangerous and irresponsible but you need to point the blame at those in charge.

If we hadn’t been subjected to that ludicrous pantomime over the weekend, I believe people would be back on board. Even more so if Johnson and his front bench had shown some backbone and sacked him. Or at the very least, say what he did was wrong.

I agree there are more important things to focus on but we can’t take our collective eye off the ball. That ball being a dangerous government who are ripping up the rulebook on how they should behave.

 

[Catfish Blues]

Would it even work underground?

Yea, it's a bluetooth handshake mate, so doesn't need a connection to the network.
It's not really massively different to someone using bluetooth headphones to listen to music on their phone on the tube.

 

[navidson]

At least one lab accuses the government of ‘playing politics ‘ in an email which seems strong . There are a number of theories , speculation is they’re concerned those testing for antibodies might simply choose to ignore the lockdown rules meaning a loss of control or simply that the government are trying to keep control of the narrative .

personally I’d have thought they’d have been happy for those with the money to waste paid for Their own tests .

They are more than happy for people to do that - but these were the 'free' tests that were going to be administered to key workers in the first phase