Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[NilSatisOptimum]

Late inadequate action a section of the population inclined toward disinformation, a degraded NHS and Local Authorities, an ideological government that handed contracts to relatives and donors, poor and confusing messaging, a determination to import the virus without checks...

Government and those who happy with existing state of affairs really do need to be talking about the vaccine. Preceding this point is pretty incompetent and disgusting.

 

[BlueToff]

Late inadequate action a section of the population inclined toward disinformation, a degraded NHS and Local Authorities, an ideological government that handed contracts to relatives and donors, poor and confusing messaging, a determination to import the virus without checks...

Government and those who happy with existing state of affairs really do need to be talking about the vaccine. Preceding this point is pretty incompetent and disgusting.

I fully agree with that point in bold.

But right now, literally all that matters is getting the vaccine to as many people as quickly as possible.

Just because I say that, doesn't mean I'm happy with how the government have handled this in general.

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

Not so good, older people just die do they...But but but the Vaccine...

 

[Blue 1]

Seems it's fine to make international comparisons about the speed of approving vaccines and the happiness levels of fish, but not Covid death rates, test-and-trace systems or money "spaffed up the wall" on non-tendered, no-penalty private contracts.

Good of the government to be clear about this, isn't it?

 

[BlueToff]

Not so good, older people just die do they...But but but the Vaccine...

What are you on about 'but but the vaccine'?

They're giving 300,000 people per day their first dose atm.

The country is in lockdown right now. We'll hopefully see the impact in 2 weeks' time when cases have dropped and deaths start to. Until then we can't do much other than keep vaccinating. Nobody is visiting care homes, and people in care homes are getting vaccinated as quickly as possible.

 

[BlueToff]

Seems it's fine to make international comparisons about the speed of approving vaccines and the happiness levels of fish, but not Covid death rates, test-and-trace systems or money "spaffed up the wall" on non-tendered, no-penalty private contracts.

Good of the government to be clear about this, isn't it?

Who has said this?

COVID death rates in the UK are abysmal. There's loads of factors that play into that, from government incompetence to people being idiots to the fact that it's the dead of winter and viruses tend to spread more easily in that time. They're also pretty bad in other countries too - this is just a fact.

Doesn't change the fact that the only solution is the vaccine and I don't care whether it's the UK, Germany or France or the bloody Solomon Islands who are leading the way in it, it just needs to be done, quickly.

 

[Moomin]

Who has said this?

COVID death rates in the UK are abysmal. There's loads of factors that play into that, from government incompetence to people being idiots to the fact that it's the dead of winter and viruses tend to spread more easily in that time. They're also pretty bad in other countries too - this is just a fact.

Doesn't change the fact that the only solution is the vaccine and I don't care whether it's the UK, Germany or France or the bloody Solomon Islands who are leading the way in it, it just needs to be done, quickly.

But, we have the worst rate. That is a fact.

 

[BlueToff]

But, we have the worst rate. That is a fact.

Yes, we do, thanks Rafael.

It's crap. This time last week, another country had the worst rate. That may change next week or it might stay the same. Either way, it's dreadful.

Again, loads of factors in play. I don't see what it takes away from the importance of the vaccine though?

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

NHS Test and Trace still has 900 consultants on the books on £1,000 a day​

NHS Test and Trace is still employing 900 consultants on an average rate of £1,000 per day, it has emerged, as the Conservative peer in charge of the programme insisted it was now having a “material impact” on tackling the pandemic.

Insisting that the £22bn programme had now turned a corner, Baroness Harding on Monday argued that it was “appropriate” to call on external expertise in “extreme emergency circumstances.”

Appearing before the Commons public accounts committee, she told MPs that it was now performing “substantially better” than the targets it was initially set by the Government’s scientific advisory group.

Baroness Harding came under pressure over the staggering costs associated with the programme, as health officials at the hearing revealed that 900 consultants from the firm Deloitte were still “on the books” on an average four-figure day rate.

The figure is down by approximately 100 since October, with MPs stating that, as recently as November, there were 2,300 consultants and contractors working on the scheme.

Asked how this could be considered value for money, David Williams, the second permanent secretary of the Department for Health, insisted the programme would not have been able to deliver its current output without the support of a range of external consultants.

 

[grandjoeblue]

I don't really understand how the UK is the worst when we have constant lockdowns and we've had mask mandates for months. Some countries in europe are much more open and have significantly less deaths than us. Greater Manchester for example hasn't had pubs and restaurants open for about 6 months.

Really doesn't add up.

 

[Blue 1]

Who has said this?

COVID death rates in the UK are abysmal. There's loads of factors that play into that, from government incompetence to people being idiots to the fact that it's the dead of winter and viruses tend to spread more easily in that time. They're also pretty bad in other countries too - this is just a fact.

Doesn't change the fact that the only solution is the vaccine and I don't care whether it's the UK, Germany or France or the bloody Solomon Islands who are leading the way in it, it just needs to be done, quickly.

Brandon Lewis, this morning, when asked for any reasons why we currently have the worst death rate in the world, said it wasn't possible to make international comparisons on death rates.

The government are quite ready to shout about being the first country to approve a vaccine though.

 

[grandjoeblue]

NHS Test and Trace still has 900 consultants on the books on £1,000 a day​

NHS Test and Trace is still employing 900 consultants on an average rate of £1,000 per day, it has emerged, as the Conservative peer in charge of the programme insisted it was now having a “material impact” on tackling the pandemic.

Insisting that the £22bn programme had now turned a corner, Baroness Harding on Monday argued that it was “appropriate” to call on external expertise in “extreme emergency circumstances.”

Appearing before the Commons public accounts committee, she told MPs that it was now performing “substantially better” than the targets it was initially set by the Government’s scientific advisory group.

Baroness Harding came under pressure over the staggering costs associated with the programme, as health officials at the hearing revealed that 900 consultants from the firm Deloitte were still “on the books” on an average four-figure day rate.

The figure is down by approximately 100 since October, with MPs stating that, as recently as November, there 2,300 consultants and contractors working on the scheme.

Asked how this could be considered value for money, David Williams, the second permanent secretary of the Department for Health, insisted the programme would not have been able to deliver its current output without the support of a range of external consultants.

Actually convinced Harding has done the worst job imaginable. This country is a disgrace.

£30 for a kids food is sickening to some people but carry on with these consultants at £1000 per day.

 

[BlueToff]

I don't really understand how the UK is the worst when we have constant lockdowns and we've had mask mandates for months. Some countries in europe are much more open and have significantly less deaths than us. Greater Manchester for example hasn't had pubs and restaurants open for about 6 months.

Really doesn't add up.

Are they?

Germany is in lockdown. Hasn't France been under lockdown for the last month or so?

Netherlands is in lockdown. Spain is under curfew. Portugal is in lockdown. Italy is mostly in lockdown.

I think the only countries that are 'open' more than us are the ones that never went into lockdown or all but abandoned the policy after last spring (rightly or wrongly).

Also, mortality rate for COVID is pretty much the same across the board - there's very little difference. It's, what, 3-4% (of confirmed cases)? So it's all down to how many people who are getting infected, surely?

 

[BlueToff]

Brandon Lewis, this morning, when asked for any reasons why we currently have the worst death rate in the world, said it wasn't possible to make international comparisons on death rates.

The government are quite ready to shout about being the first country to approve a vaccine though.

I thought you meant in this thread, sorry.

Well I'm not surprised that the government are using the same deflection tactics they have used all along. They can't blame footballers now, hugging has stopped (so has the media hysteria) and there were 16 positive tests across the PL in the last round of testing.

 

[BlueToff]

Actually convinced Harding has done the worst job imaginable. This country is a disgrace.

£30 for a kids food is sickening to some people but carry on with these consultants at £1000 per day.

It's a general problem across the NHS too.

Funding has gone up year after year. Yes, there needs to be more funding, but the amount of bloating and bureaucracy in the system, with fat contracts handed out, is a massive issue.

The company - Star Recruitment - contracted to help the NHS deliver covid tests and antibody tests from September through to March, has been placing people on furlough in recent weeks due to a lack of demand. Their full-time rate works out at about £13k (plus expenses) over 6 months for one person. God knows what their margin on that is.