Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[LinekersLegs]

RIP

 

[Catfish Blues]

Come back in 14 days and see how things are going

Remember Cheltenham, champions league games, schools not closed early enough

It'll get worse before it gets better, but Cheltenham was nearly two weeks ago, so 95% of those infected there will, if they're ever going to have symptoms, have displayed them now.

The Madrid game was over two weeks ago, so nigh on 100% of those infected will be in the same position.

We'll probably never know the real effect of those events on the spread of the virus, but , though not zero, I'd guess it'll have been relatively minor.

 

[Charro]

Spot on......perhaps the people who denigrated the "scroungers" and now have to actually claim UC will realise that they were misinformed.

It’s going to bring millions of people down to a level they know nothing about and hopefully it will open their eyes.

Suddenly the amount of money people get on universal credit is a massive issue now a lot of people may have to claim it for a while.

They didn’t care when it didn’t impact them though.

 

[JimmyJeffers]

It really isn’t worth going on universal credit if you’re self employed.

I worked in then benefit system for a few years, and although it was mainly on JSA I trained on UC for a bit and it is essentially the same process just more streamlined with a different payment structure.

This loan the government are advising self employed people to get is easier said than done.

For one, it’s 60% of your entitled benefit. There’s a very good chance your benefit will already be deducted through any savings you may have and the last payment you received.

When you go through the loan process (it’s called a short term advance btw) you’ll be asked so many questions about your circumstances. These questions are all designed for the advisor to give you as little as possible.

You’ll be asked about what you need the money for, the last payment you received, what you spent that money on, is there anyone in the household who can provide for you, have you been to your local authority for hardship etc....

Basically unless you live on your own and have absolutely nothing to live on they’ll expect you to get money from elsewhere.

If by the end of this process you’re entitled to a payment, chances are it’ll be very limited and wouldn’t be worth your while. Very unlikely that you’d receive it after a couple of days also, especially with the growing demand.

You’ll then be waiting about five weeks to receive your first benefit payment and if you’re lucky enough to received a sizeable advance a large chunk will be taken out of this payment.

It’s laughable that the government are advising people to go down this route. It really is.

Anyone need some advice about going on UC give us a shout and I should be able to answer any questions you have.

My general advice would be to avoid it if you can but that’s without knowing anyone’s circumstances.

That might have been guidelines initially but they’ve now changed. In my experience people get the advance loan very easily and every claimant gets offered it. No income or expenditure completed. Then they’re getting it deducted at mad rates from their ongoing entitlement. Remember UC is meant to be the baseline living amount so how they can justify deducting from that amount, I’ve no idea. I had one guy given it who wasn’t even entitled to UC.
Can help a few people who are self employed also. Especially, single parents. Anyways...

 

[summerisle]

 

[Charro]

That might have been guidelines initially but they’ve now changed. In my experience people get the advance loan very easily and every claimant gets offered it. No income or expenditure completed. Then they’re getting it deducted at mad rates from their ongoing entitlement. Remember UC is meant to be the baseline living amount so how they can justify deducting from that amount, I’ve no idea. I had one guy given it who wasn’t even entitled to UC.
Can help a few people who are self employed also. Especially, single parents. Anyways...

Ahhh Fair enough, but it still sounds quite similar to what it was on JSA, albeit maybe an easier process which is good.

The main issue is the deductions. They make people aware of this when offering the loan but you’re talking to people in desperation living hand to mouth, they’ll take anything.

 

[Goat]

Ahhh Fair enough, but it still sounds quite similar to what it was on JSA, albeit maybe an easier process which is good.

The main issue is the deductions. They make people aware of this when offering the loan but you’re talking to people in desperation living hand to mouth, they’ll take anything.

This time next month I think theres gonna be a LOT of people in dire need.

I mean is anybody really confident that they will get paid next month?

 

[LinekersLegs]

Updated Imperial report
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/im...-College-COVID19-Global-Impact-26-03-2020.pdf

 

[Dharma]

I'm sure everyone is taking all the precautions possible, but perhaps this is an area
that is easily overlooked. Let's stay safe Blues.

Some practical advice about dissinfecting your shopping.

 

[LinekersLegs]

The UK offers a cautionary tale. Its first response was to say that people would develop herd immunity, though it switched course a few days later. I’d already been concerned about the capacity of the British system, and this made me very worried. Herd immunity only works if you have a vaccine and 85 to 90 percent of the population is inoculated. Right now, in the face of an infectious disease with such a high mortality rate, for the UK to resist acknowledging the reality of the virus could translate into tens of thousands of deaths. It was unthinkable for a government to put out such nonsense. We in Korea were thinking, “Are these people in their right mind?”

 

[Neiler]

It’s the USA figures that frighten me the most today, clear signs of exponential growth on the east coast, you have to presume this is the start and it will spread out west, could be awful and the federal government are just I’m sorry to say bananas.

Loads of friends in the states and lived there for a bit on the west and east coasts, hopefully some how they get around this.

 

[Goat]

The UK offers a cautionary tale. Its first response was to say that people would develop herd immunity, though it switched course a few days later. I’d already been concerned about the capacity of the British system, and this made me very worried. Herd immunity only works if you have a vaccine and 85 to 90 percent of the population is inoculated. Right now, in the face of an infectious disease with such a high mortality rate, for the UK to resist acknowledging the reality of the virus could translate into tens of thousands of deaths. It was unthinkable for a government to put out such nonsense. We in Korea were thinking, “Are these people in their right mind?”

Donald just wants you to be the biggest and best

 

[Kenshin]

The media are at it again sadly.

The BBC running the story of Valencia Vs Atalanta being a biological bomb on Feb 19th, even though the first case was not found until 2 days later in Spain. Suggesting the game is to blame.

No mention of Liverpool Vs athletico played after that date, or Cheltenham the day after that.

The media won't put blame at this country for anything even now. Happy to blame other countries during this time but not themselves.

 

[RAFUH]

Have to say, today it really hit home for me.

My department‘s physicians and residents are the second line for COVID patients in our hospital. Which means when the critical care specialists and hospitalists are over run or dwindled in numbers, our physicians jump in.

Today, they all received an email with a ventilator manual so they can learn how to use them and manage patients on a vent. It’s more complex than just an on off button and one size fits all set rate...also not something most of them have ever done.

We’re lucky to have a second line and the time to let them learn and prepare. So many hospitals won’t have back up or time.

 

[riddick]

Was speaking with my father today(retired doctor), I mentioned my "fear" with this over here in the States. Basically there is a LARGE % of people that are trying their best to minimize any contact with people. My wife and I have been home for almost 2 weeks with VERY little trips anywhere(mostly liquor store but thats a different topic). But when they give the OK, whats to say the, lets just say, 10 people who HAVEN'T been isolating(obviously magnitudes more) and have it spread it out to everyone again? He said that's exactly the issue, theres no way to reliably get people to stay home because people have to move about. Said he expects this to be a smaller issue, the summer to be a false dawn but the fall to absolutely explode.