Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[peteblue]

You can only have yours if Fritz and Francois are guaranteed to get theirs mate. It’s a EU kind of issue thing going on at the moment.

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

Got my second dose on the last day of the month. Will I be given anything like a document to prove I have been vaccinated once this is done?. If not, I’ll just keep the appointment card which should have both dates on it for future evidence.

Keep it for the possible 3rd dose, it could be required... Also be your record of what's gone into you before, dont count on anyone keeping that data from getting accidently lost.

 

[Chris O'Connor]

Still if had I COVID, and had a choice of health care system, there are a fair few I would rather be treated, just because there are better outcomes purely because they are politically better managed and funded.

It's again not something we have any choice about as our system is publicly funded and free for all at source with the devolved governments having their own systems. Generally it runs at around 8% of our Gross domestic product (GDP).

Alternatively lots of countries are far more insurance based or a mixture of statutory health insurance and private health insurance.

Germany for example has a universal multi-payer system paid for by a combination of statutory and private insurance. If you combine the two it comes to about 11% of total GDP.

The United States has a big privately funded insurance sector contribution together with a very basic universal one giving 16% of GDP. Employers will often offer health insurance packages as part of your renumeration.

Australia of which I know reasonably well is primarily funded by Medicare, the national health insurance scheme. All citizens and permanent residents have access to Medicare, which subsidises a set amount for most health services. Private hospitals charge with a percentage (around 75% paid by Medicare). There is a Medicare levy of around 2% on all residents taxable income over a certain level. If you can't afford to pay there are exemption categories which may apply.

You may like an insurance based system better as it's variations of that which are primarily used across the world. The NHS is free to everyone at source and although far from perfectly run and managed does have that positive.

 

[spectateur]

The issue is always a commercial one. The USA manufacturers and companies make good money from the vaccine. The AZ one is basically given away. The USA won’t do anything to promote a foreign, cheap competitor. This is what drives Germany also.....

My thoughts in a way. Not so much a political or nationalistic thing, more likely an inter big pharma struggle.
After all
multinational big pharma can easily control governments.

 

[Billy Dean]

It's again not something we have any choice about as our system is publicly funded and free for all at source with the devolved governments having their own systems. Generally it runs at around 8% of our Gross domestic product (GDP).

Alternatively lots of countries are far more insurance based or a mixture of statutory health insurance and private health insurance.

Germany for example has a universal multi-payer system paid for by a combination of statutory and private insurance. If you combine the two it comes to about 11% of total GDP.

The United States has a big privately funded insurance sector contribution together with a very basic universal one giving 16% of GDP. Employers will often offer health insurance packages as part of your renumeration.

Australia of which I know reasonably well is primarily funded by Medicare, the national health insurance scheme. All citizens and permanent residents have access to Medicare, which subsidises a set amount for most health services. Private hospitals charge with a percentage (around 75% paid by Medicare). There is a Medicare levy of around 2% on all residents taxable income over a certain level. If you can't afford to pay there are exemption categories which may apply.

You may like an insurance based system better as it's variations of that which are primarily used across the world. The NHS is free to everyone at source and although far from perfectly run and managed does have that positive.

Big fan of the NHS me, compared to the German system

 

[spectateur]

I read that as he was against mandatory vaccinations, I have had my vaccination but I would also be against mandatory ones.

If people don't want them they should not be forced to have them against their will

Agree that they should have a choice, however should they be offered a jab and refuse it, then get covid, they should have to pay for their treatment.

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

It's again not something we have any choice about as our system is publicly funded and free for all at source with the devolved governments having their own systems. Generally it runs at around 8% of our Gross domestic product (GDP).

Poppycock.

And yes we do have a choice.

Also devolved governments have some varying say in how their NHS is managed.... And more importantly its the UK Treasury calculates the annual block grants for the Scottish government, Welsh government and Northern Ireland executive. It therefore determines the overall funding available for public services such as healthcare and education in the devolved nations. And Wales is well recognised as being the most adversely effected by the Barnett formula.

 

[Jimishorts]

Don’t know why everyone took that June date as gospel anyway. It quite clearly said on the roadmap there were at least 5 weeks between each step.

Yes people. Why can’t you be like ‘know it all’ Nymzee. Can‘t handle an Amazon account but knows how the government are handling the pandemic, quite clearly.

 

[SussexToffee]

Keep it for the possible 3rd dose, it could be required... Also be your record of what's gone into you before, dont count on anyone keeping that data from getting accidently lost.

Oh God yeah, I remember telling my bank to write things down after their computer system died!.

 

[Chris O'Connor]

Poppycock.

And yes we do have a choice.

Also devolved governments have some varying say in how their NHS is managed.... And more importantly its the UK Treasury calculates the annual block grants for the Scottish government, Welsh government and Northern Ireland executive. It therefore determines the overall funding available for public services such as healthcare and education in the devolved nations. And Wales is well recognised as being the most adversely effected by the Barnett formula.

You're just a wind up merchant, I've given facts not opinions.

I always have to remember despite this being GOT it's social media and wind up idiots are two a penny.

 

[spectateur]

Big fan of the NHS me, compared to the German system

Big problem for the NHS system is that you have no idea how much your treatment is costing.
I recently had a doppler échographie on my legs. Cost 89eur, paid 70% by the cpam and 30% by the top up insurance.
Better to know how much you're costing the system I.m.o.

 

[brieverton]

believe it or not, some people somehow absolutely loved these stuff. they will be blocking the normalisation at every step...it will be a tough road ahead to be fully normal.

It's a good point. Amidst the understandable clamour for a return to "normality" I'll bet there are millions of people equally settled and happy with the "new normal".

And some people will be in-between.

The longer anything goes on for, the more routine and normalised it becomes. People are extraordinarily adaptable, and routines become ingrained, especially so the older you get. The most obvious difficulty for a lot of people will be returning to offices after a gap of longer than a year. I foresee a lot of teething issues and general disillusionment.

After a short period, the novelty of normalisation will wear off for many people, and the struggles of the daily grind will return. Not that there isn't struggle due to lockdown either, obviously.

But just as an observer, it certainly won't all be partying and gigs and things for me, post-lockdown. I'll have to admit here to being quite a boring old fart but I just wonder if some peoples expectations of life before and after covid are a bit out of kilter now, after all this.

It all adds up to a multitude of psychological and mental health issues, another pandemic all on its own.

 

[tsubaki]

Big problem for the NHS system is that you have no idea how much your treatment is costing.
I recently had a doppler échographie on my legs. Cost 89eur, paid 70% by the cpam and 30% by the top up insurance.
Better to know how much you're costing the system I.m.o.

TBF the discussion over which system is best is a bit moot - for efficiency and cost (and arguably outcomes) the French system is better than ours, but for mass coverage and especially for things like vaccinations the NHS is superior.

About the only thing anyone can say with certainty is that the US system is terrible at everything apart from making fortunes, unless you are loaded.

 

[spectateur]

View attachment 121627

Oi! Steady on now, getting a bit silly.

 

[Jebus_lives]

"The death of one man is a tragedy. The death of millions is a statistic." – Josef Stalin.

The suspension of vaccines will lead to more tragic statistics.