[bitontheslide]

with face masks, there were 2 issues. The first was that we didnt have enough PPE and it was important that the NHS got the supply before others. Secondly, people believed, and still do actually, that face masks protected the wearer, they don't unless they are custom fitted. The moment people grasped that they actually protected others, then it changed their potential usefulness.

So, facemasks, i can see where the message would logically evolve. It's actually true for a lot of things. As our understanding grew, the way we handled everything evolved, and that's perfectly natural and to be expected with something so new to everybody.

What is wrong, is to re-interpret timelines and emphasis which hopeless hancock has been particularly guilty of

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

with face masks, there were 2 issues. The first was that we didnt have enough PPE and it was important that the NHS got the supply before others. Secondly, people believed, and still do actually, that face masks protected the wearer, they don't unless they are custom fitted. The moment people grasped that they actually protected others, then it changed their potential usefulness.

I think there's still plenty of people who don't realise that, to be honest... it got to the point where "most" people were wearing them and then quickly shifted to almost everyone wearing them. It became a social norm, suddenly being the person WITHOUT a mask would make you stand out, and at that point encouraging use is easy. We're social animals and will naturally follow a trend (for the mostpart).

Useful for things like mask wearing and hand sanitising. Not so useful for things like panic buying toilet paper and pasta.

[LeatherTrumpet]

i was in the hospital on Sunday and now they dont want you to go in with your own mask and ask you to wear a disposable that they supply. A change from last week!

[Strictly Jake]

Ok so part 2 is

2nd march to 20th march 2020

So much info here regarding a possible vaccine, whether schools will shut and the ridiculous initial idea of herd immunity and army guarding supermarkets...and this part ends at the point lockdown is finally announced

[Strictly Jake]

Part 2

2nd March 2020 to 20th march 2020

03/03/20

51 Cases in the UK now .

The 4 Stage UK plan is

Contain
Delay
Research
Mitigate


04/03/20

"I don't believe anything is currently being cancelled, life is going ahead as normal, just wash your hands,"

"the virus is spread through the air, washing your hands wont really do much im afraid"

"people who think they might be coming down with something would wear a mask as a courtesy to everyone else. Now people have started wearing them when healthy mistakenly believing they offer protection... when in fact, if someone sneezes near you and the droplets get on your mask, you're probably just increasing exposure"

"Coronavirus cases in the UK jump by 34 in a day, taking total number to 85"

05/03/20

115 UK Covid 19 Cases.

First UK death confirmed

"WHO are now saying it’s much worse than they thought.
Over 3% death rate, compared to the 1% with seasonal flu"

"Italy has an even higher death rate than China"

07/03/20

2nd person dies in England.

"the panic buying is a bit crazy...so many empty shelves at the supermarket yesterday when I went. it really does appear to be becoming an apocalypse type shop for some, just crazy."

USA now has 335 cases. 17 deaths

Masks will probably make little difference if you’re just walking around town or taking a bus so there is no need to bulk-buy a huge supply.

A commercially available vaccine within a year would be quick.

08/03/20

Sports governing bodies and broadcasters have been called to an emergency meeting on Monday by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to examine whether large events should be held behind closed doors if the situation worsens. Another measure reportedly being considered is banning over-70s from attending large gatherings.

The government’s emergency committee, Cobra, will also meet on Monday and will be chaired by the prime minister

The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, will use the budget to put in place a multibillion-pound fund to help businesses that suffer the worst effects of the virus, with particular focus on small firms employing 100 people or fewer. Sunak is understood to be concerned that smaller firms will be especially vulnerable if the crisis develops and a majority of staff call in sick or are sent home to prevent the spread of the virus.

Supermarkets across the UK will begin rationing food after panic buying left shelves empty following the coronavirus outbreak.

Baked beans, dry pasta and UHT milk are among the foods reportedly included in the embargo. While supplies of antibacterial gels, wipes and sprays will also be limited.

"the images of bars and restaurants, streets etc completely empty in some Italian towns, makes it all feel really eerie...and like nothing we’ve ever witnessed before"

"it would be nice to see the government and supermarkets coming together over this...(..as well as surrounding communities...)...to ensure that any household needing it, would have a ‘food parcel delivery’ with all of the essentials they’ll need...with older people"

a number of supermarkets have placed restrictions on items including pasta, anti-bacterial wipes and hand soap

"toilet rolls and antiseptic wipes selling on some Fb sites for £20 for 1 roll and £10 for a small bottle of antiseptic wash"

total of 273 cases of coronavirus have so far been
confirmed in the UK

"273 people out of 60 million is nothing ... but the rise will get larger each day exponentially. Give it another week and it will be thousands"

Third death in Britain

09/03/20

British volunteers to be infected with Coronavirus to help develop vaccine

Volunteers from the UK are set to be deliberately infected with coronavirus as scientists race to develop a cure for the deadly disease.

As many as 24 human guinea pigs will be paid £3,500 to take part in the trial which will see them infected with a coronavirus and banned from physical contact with the outside world for two weeks.

"Easy 3500 surely, given the huge majority of us will likely end up with the virus anyway in the coming weeks/months"

"mass panic will do more damage than the actual virus, especially if the government buckle to the pressure and close schools, which will 100% **** our economy and NHS at the same time"

UK now has 4 Dead

Chris Whitty says soon coronavirus will spread “really quite fast”.

Whitty says within about 10 to 14 days the government will advise people with even minor respiratory tract infections or a fever to self-isolate

5 Dead in UK now

The infection rate will go up dramatically in the next two weeks. A Hospital Doctor said.

Italy's coronavirus death toll has jumped by 97 to 463, as Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte described the outbreak as the country's "darkest hour".

The number of confirmed infections in Italy also increased to 9,172, up from 7,375 on Sunday, official figures show.

Italy is the worst-hit country after China.

10/03/20

"Reckon we'll be "in lock down" in a few weeks in the same vain as Italy? Is it totally unfeasible to shut down most if not all schools/non-demand workplaces and public places (leisure centres and gyms, libraries, eateries, shopping centres, cinemas etc) for a week-10 days? Because that would sure help in lowering transmission surely"

"You would think that it could be done, but clearly money is more important"

"It's a fine balancing act between appropriate measures and limiting economic damage.
When the outbreak ends there will be comparisons made between respective timings and results achieved"

"I heard a whisper that there’s a ‘possibility’ that we do indeed close schools/colleges on about 12 days time .. thereby having two weeks off school then the two week Easter hols making a FOUR week stretch to slow the virus down at that next crucial stage . .. but only losing two weeks education"

"wondering why India was not getting this bad"

"India has a different climate, a different diet and religious restrictions"

UK peak expected within fortnight
The start of the UK peak of the coronavirus epidemic is expected within the next fortnight, England’s deputy chief medical officer has said.

Dr Jenny Harries defended the government’s decision to delay closing schools and the introduction of other stringent tactics, saying experts are assessing new cases on an hourly basis to achieve a “balanced response”.

6th person died in Britain

"i'm not sure thousands of fans at football matches shouting and spraying gob everywhere at the same time is an ideal environment"

Italy is in lockdown.

"(Talking about UK lockdown) the economy would tank and the country would grind to a halt. closing schools would be a disaster, given how many NHS staff have school age children and noone to watch them. We could force the whole country (this would include nhs staff too though realistically, if it was everyone..) to stay indoors for a few weeks and eradicate it here. Then, once airports are back in operation, all it takes is ONE person coming in from a country thats infected and its same over again. What makes genuinely no sense at all to me is those wanting lockdown, but saying that airports must stay open (usually as THEY have a holiday soon). Airports MUST be the first to go, in any serious containment effort..Someone at my kids school, reckon we will have full lockdown"

"I think here is a strong possibility that easter holidays will be extended a bit, or even brought in a little early, rather than 'closures' as such. The pressure on the government to close schools is insane"

631 deaths now in Italy

6 Dead now in UK

Dr Harries said cancelling big outdoor events like football matches would not necessarily be a decision supported by science.

“The virus will not survive very long outside,” she said. “Many outdoor events, particularly, are relatively safe.”

the Health Minister has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

11/03/20

"Think we’ll be working from home from next week but we’ll see"

456 Covid 19 cases in the UK. 10 dead.

"I think they should close the schools."

"If you think the NHS is prepared for this, after being hacked to **** by the tories you're living in a fantasy world. We're royally ****ed."

WHO declare Its now Officially a Pandemic.

Over 120,000
Worldwide now have Covid 19

A retired intensive care doctor claims the government plans to increase coronavirus testing are “way too late”

"Must say the UK looks very low in cases compared to countries like Spain, France Germany"

12/03/21

Today we are moving into to Delay
So Social Distancing is the new order.

Boris Johnson is set to escalate the UK's coronavirus
response to the next phase - meaning schools
could be forced to close, major sporting
events cancelled and people
made to work from home.
The prime minister will chair an emergency COBRA meeting
on Thursday where he is expected to declare
that the UK will switch from trying to
contain COVID-19 to delaying its spread

"Ireland is going into lockdown at 6pm tonight"

"Damn, that means the UK will be going into lockdown next doesn't it?"

"They are saying so far they dont want to go down that route"

British government wants UK to acquire coronavirus 'herd immunity'. this strategy is basically to just let it run through the population and the strongest will survive

"@realDonaldTrump said we are better than europe in terms of #Corona"

"The thought that people we love could be isolated while they struggle to breathe, I’m finding all consuming"

"The government need to give answers to people who need money and cant afford to not work if it goes into lockdown tbh. They should have set out a plan and made it public already"

"the schools in our area are looking at possible closures next week...they’re all being advised of the ‘virtual classroom’ procedures atm so that the children can still learn from home"

"the world is ending children but you must all work really hard on grammar and punctuation"

The total number of coronavirus cases worldwide now stands at 126,258, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. There have been 4,638 deaths.

"They did say on GMTV that the reason we haven't gone into lockdown yet is because after a couple of weeks of lock down now, people will get bored of it and start to go out too soon"

"Sturgeon has said Scotland's schools wont close"

"she is letting 100,000 people gather in central Glasgow over the next 5 days, all shouting and singing in close proximity"

Delay the Peak is what Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance is after.
The Chief Medical Officer Chris Witty
says the risk is High.
7 Days is the new time to stay at home

India has barred the entry of all foreign tourists for one month starting tomorrow in a bid to contain the coronavirus. The ban on foreign visitors includes foreign nationals of Indian origin


“The places that have succeeded are the ones that moved earliest to social distancing ...I think people will be concerned that we’re not moving sooner to more social distancing, for example banning external visits to care homes.”

13/03/20

Congress members who were given private briefings by Trump administration officials on Thursday expressed shock and outrage that so far only 11,000 tests have been conducted in a country of 327 million people. the total number of specimens tested across the whole of the US was eight.
Trump said: “Frankly, the testing has been going very smooth.” He added: “We have heavily tested.”

"Has Boris and his party thought to shut down unnecessary public gatherings to make sure that people don't lose their loved ones?"

Boris Johnson thinks it’s ‘desireable’ that you get this disease in order to build ‘herd’ immunity.

His herd immunity policy relies on it running it's course through the population

Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance
Chief Medical Officer Chris Witty
next to him. They set the Plan

Dr Jenny Vaughan from The Doctors' Association says NHS staff know they will lose colleagues - but "the medical front line is ready, willing and able to try and help deal with this pandemic".

Doctors claim coronavirus 'may cause damage to a man's TESTICLES'

"this is a virus that apparently has a selection process of older people and it could cease reproduction...and we are being told this Isn’t man made/engineered in a laboratory..?...hmm"

"this crisis is going to go on for months or years. We can't shut everything down for that time"

"It’s alright everyone, we can let the virus sweep the nation, kill off a few hundred old folk and everything will be alright, Boris said so, just get used to having family members die because he thinks he knows better than the rest of the world, that’ll help people at funerals"

Sir Patrick Vallance insisted that the action they've taken is far from a trivial change. "This isn't an epidemic that is going to last a couple of weeks, it is going to go on for months"

"And the measures that were announced yesterday, which were that anybody with mild symptoms, which are a fever, a raised temperature or a cough, should stay at home. That's not a trivial change.

"That is going to have a big impact of many people staying at home for a week.

"It is one of the things that can have the biggest impact in terms of reducing the transmissability and ability of the virus to spread quickly across the population."

Other countries have taken far more draconian measures, such as Italy, who have closed schools, shops and travel from region to region.

But Sir Patrick insisted that it was "impossible" for a country to attempt to self-isolate its entire population.

He added: "When you've got it inside the country, it would be difficult to stop that spread."

The government adviser also explained the decision not to close schools, saying that once closed, they may have to stay closed for months and that would have a huge impact on the country

"Its the medical experts who are giving the government advice, are they supposed to override that expertise? because armchair experts think they know better, it makes sense not to close everything right now as they have explained if they do that NOW before the virus has peaked,people will be bored of staying in"

"Members of the public are well within their rights to question why exactly we are doing the opposite of the rest of the world. We have no choice but to do what the Government suggest but people will be looking to the rest of the world too."

"My son's school has not issued that advice. They are remaining open and expecting all children in that are not displaying symptoms or it will be classed as unauthorised absence. All other local schools are the same."

"the delay is an attempt to reduce "all at once" burden, and to allow time for the most effective treatments to be found. But even once all of that happens, the virus isn't going away and while the death rate is basically CERTAIN to drop as immunities develop and care techniques are refined, it will never be zero."

"it's simply not feasible for schools and services to be closed for multiple months under any circumstances. We live on an organisational knife-edge and if economies start to collapse in a major way, frankly, it'll kill a lot more people than the virus"

"We are not, I repeat not, closing schools now" UK PM Boris Johnson says "the scientific advice" is that closing schools across the country "could do more harm than good" in tackling coronavirus

"This government response is they seem to expect the epidemic to last for months and want to reserve the toughest measures for its peak
But
How can they know that It will last that long?"

"now we know what they’re doing is working, why wait until it gets to its absolute worst and hundreds, if not thousands of people die, before starting to do what has proven to work? It doesn’t make sense, they’re choosing to let it get worse"

"It will all become clear which experts were the best when all is over and deaths are counted."

"The most likely scenario projecting forwards is that through a combination of residual antibodies and a potential vaccine, it'll become endemic rather than epidemic/pandemic which mean there will be seasonal outbreaks in the same way as the other 4 seasonal coronaviruses"

"the places that closed schools are going to have to open them up again at some point in the near future, and then the clock is reset again. They can't be closed for months or years. We don't have the death rates that they have in other countries, so it makes no sense to close schools at the moment"

"If anything good can come of this, I hope it's that politicians finally accept that the NHS should genuinely be of paramount importance and that funding should be dramatically increased."

"So basically with herd immunity - as there is no vaccine available at the moment - they are hoping enough of us become infected with it to develop anti-bodies to stop the spread"

A British company has developed a rapid diagnostic self-testing kit for Covid-19

Mass gatherings are to be banned across the UK from next weekend, the government has announced after Boris Johnson’s cautious approach to the coronavirus outbreak was overtaken by care homes, sporting bodies and even the Queen taking matters into their own hands.

14/03/20

"any progress at all on a vaccine is hopeful. People act like one being developed is inevitable and just a waiting game... but it isn't; perfectly feasible that one wouldn't be possible at all"

A vaccine for the Covid-19 illness caused by the coronavirus is on the verge of being developed, a team of scientists has said.

Should the human trials be successful, the team is hopeful the vaccine will be available for patients in a year.

15/03/20

The army to guard hospitals and supermarkets

Health Secretary @MattHancock to confirm that those over-70 will be asked to self-isolate and stay at home for up to four months.

He says "that is the plan" but "not yet".

Ministers are planning to give police in the UK the power to arrest people with coronavirus who are not self-isolating, the health secretary has confirmed.

The Scottish government is not planning to ask over-70’s to self-isolate, contrary to the UK government.

Instead, elderly people in Scotland will be asked to reduce social contact.

local surgeries announced doctors and nurses will stop seeing patients in person

The National Education Union – the largest of its kind in Europe – has written to the prime minister calling on him to clarify why he has not closed schools as part of the UK’s coronavirus strategy

Unis move to remote teaching from tomorrow

"Theres practically a consensus now that it is best to shut things down, do what China did. Hopefully in a matter of weeks it should lead to number of new cases dropping, like in China.

Hancock said today that the aim is not herd immunity but saving lives."

Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, said closing schools to protect children was not justified by the science

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said school closures remained under review and advice could change in the future.

"What the hell is this about, Ireland closing their pubs??? Better not come to that here"

16/03/20

Teaching unions and school leaders are to hold talks with the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, on Monday to discuss plans for schools and colleges in England as they start to negotiate the impact of the growing coronavirus emergency.

The government has until now resisted pressure to close schools as other countries have done, but there is mounting concern in the sector about how schools will continue to function with growing numbers of staff required to self-isolate.

The education secretary is also expected to address concerns about potential disruption to GCSEs and A-levels this summer, amid calls from some to delay examinations until September or even postpone until 2021, which could result in pupils having to repeat the current year.

[Strictly Jake]

PM LIVE NOW

Stay at Home for 14 days if infected

Stop Travel

No Social Contact for 12 weeks most vulnerable

"As the number of cases of Covid-19 cases rose to 114 in India, the government ordered a shutdown across the capital Delhi from Tuesday. If it takes off there they are ****ed."

Boris Johnson reversed course on the UK's unconventional "rapidly build herd immunity" approach after advisers discovered in recent days that hundreds of thousands of people would die

17/03/20

"yesterday I was thinking a bit of Fear the Walking Dead...how it’s (kinda) everything as normal at the beginning and then bit by bit, the changes start to happen"

covid-19 now considered ''airborne'' by WHO

A week is a long time in a coronavirus pandemic. Within days of Boris Johnson and his advisers announcing that anyone with symptoms of a cold should stay at home for seven days but otherwise live life as normal, the prime minister came out with a series of bombshells that will effectively confine most of the population to their homes

now we have scenario 2 takes things much further, adopting all the measures except closing schools and universities. And school closures probably also on the cards before too long.

The bad news is that although it will keep death rates down to 20,000 or possibly just a few thousand
(yikes weren't they wrong looking back!!!)

we are looking at these social curbs through to July or August – and even when the brakes are taken off, they may have to be slammed back on again. The virus will not have disappeared and could resurge. Only a small proportion of the population will have been infected, recovered and become immune.

The government’s earlier hopes that it could rely on large proportions – maybe 60% – of the population getting ill, getting better and becoming immune to build up some herd immunity in the UK population are dashed by this strategy, which many experts thought was dangerous anyway

"UK is potentially entering a full lockdown, my work just recieved word that we are to close until at the very least May"

"Herd immunity without vaccines is useless and isn't a fact. That's why the human species developed zero herd immunity against small pox etc, until vaccines came along to actually provide the immunity."

"According to The Guardian , the coronavirus will drag on till spring 2021"
(Erm try autumn 2021 at the least!!)

"A temporary heavy shut-down for a month maximum might be sensible to give a bit of space to plan, but it seems like a lot of people's idea for a plan is "shut everything down indefinitely and pray for a vaccine". At some point there has to be a concession that this is not a workable plan. Being optimistic it will be 12 - 18 months until there's a working vaccine. If you want to try a full social and economic shut down for a year and a half I guess go for it... ... There'll be no one left to vaccinate"

"There is no secret option C where we somehow magically halt the spread of a virus that no one is immune to and there is no vaccine for, by all staying at home for a year"

A leading scientist behind the modelling of the spread of the coronavirus has said that shutting schools would reduce the transmission of the disease, as pressure grows on the government to introduce closures.

Prof Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College London and director of the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, said that while it was not fully understood whether children transmitted the virus in the same way as other illnesses, school closures was a measure that could have an effect.

UK Airports to Shut down in weeks
(On reflection this should have been done a hell of a lot sooner!!)

Chancellor to unveil 'significant'
rescue package for businesses hit by COVID-19

"suppression is the only viable strategy at the current time". It is hoped deaths could be limited to the thousands or tens of thousands.
The government has always said it is following the science and the science has changed profoundly.

Hence, we should be waving goodbye to pubs, clubs and theatres, work from home and isolate whole households if any one person becomes sick

Schools across England are announcing full or partial closures because of staff shortages, suggesting that widespread closures and government intervention may not be far off.

Sir Patrick says he thinks it would be “extraordinary” to have a vaccine any sooner than a year for now, but stresses that progress is being made.

"What about kids on free meals. Kids at home cost money as they are always eating"

All UK schools to close on Friday

"they want schools to nursemaid the kids of key workers"

Mr Williamson said that when school
gates in England close on Friday
they will not reopen for the
foreseeable future.

there will still be a skeleton operation
so that the children of key workers
can still be looked after to
enable their parents to continue to work.

"Children who get free dinners will get looked after also vunerable children"

"I'm sure when or if we need to go into lockdown then they will act on it at the right time"

"I do expect it to die down before the summer though"

"Anyone heard Prince Phillip has died? , not from corona, load of bs I imagine"

"People are putting all over social media that army is being deployed/troops stationed around towns ready for a complete lockdown tomorrow"

19/03/20

"school teachers are expected to work through their Easter holidays to babysit kids at school"

"Boris Johnson confirmed today. No Lockdown"

The UK government has ruled out banning people from leaving or entering London. It also played down the prospect of shutting down the transport network in the capital, despite the closure of dozens of Underground stations

"Johnson PM is not closing Pubs /Bar's
and not doing a Lockdown."

"a lockdown would do more harm than good."

The Queen has issued a message to the UK people on the coronavirus outbreak, saying the nation is “entering a period of great concern and uncertainty”.

The 93-year-old praised the work of scientists, medics and emergency staff, but added that everyone has a "vitally important part to play".

She added: “Many of us will need to find new ways of staying in touch with each other and making sure that loved ones are safe. I am certain we are up to that challenge.

"You can be assured that my family and I stand ready to play our part.”

Major UK hotel chains are in discussions with the government about turning their properties into temporary hospitals to provide the NHS with emergency bed space or staff accommodation.

Hancock said a massive effort was under way to deliver personal protective equipment to NHS staff and social care providers. Overnight we’re going to get 150 hospitals the next pack of protective equipment that they need. We’ve got all this in storage in case there’s a pandemic like this and there are literally lorries on the road right now. Some hospitals will get it overnight tonight and then the rest will get their next load before the end of the weekend."


20/03/20

Boris says we can turn the tide in 12 weeks!

Lockdown on Bars , Pubs and Gyms, Leisure Centres, Theatres
All over the UK
From tonight.

[parmnion]

You may come across a post I made soon jake.

About the owner of my local pub collapsing of covid in the doctors, and his son being on itv news as one of the first to lose someone to covid...

A little follow up on that story. It was a heart attack, brought on by covid.

And the son that was on the tv has been arrested in this encrypted phone sting for importing.large amounts of cocaine..


Rylan clarkes home town as well, so he will know simon, as he ran the pub with his dad and it was next door to the one rylan used to work in when rylan worked as a barman here.

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by parmnion

You may come across a post I made soon jake.

About the owner of my local pub collapsing of covid in the doctors, and his son being on itv news as one of the first to lose someone to covid...

A little follow up on that story. It was a heart attack, brought on by covid.

And the son that was on the tv has been arrested in this encrypted phone sting for importing.large amounts of cocaine..


Rylan clarkes home town as well, so he will know simon, as he ran the pub with his dad and it was next door to the one rylan used to work in when rylan worked as a barman here.

Are you sure it wasn't a heart attack brought on by large amounts of cocaine?

[parmnion]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Are you sure it wasn't a heart attack brought on by large amounts of cocaine?

Well he did shuffle about pretty sprightly behind the bar.

Search the railway tavern, stanford le hope on google, check the reviews and the one that mentions an old shuffling barman is Gino, the old man that died.

He treated me well and always made me welcome. Unlike most around here.

[The Slim Reaper]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

I was spitting fax all over the early pages of that thread actually although I repeatedly expressed optimism about it being relatively contained like SARS, and not global spread like Spanish flu.

Wups!

Although I did also say that if there were high numbers of mild and asymptomatic cases it was going to spread like warm butter .

Yeah, like the time you harangued 2S off the forum.

[Strictly Jake]

Part 3

Lockdown confusion. Are we allowed to walk? And so begins the clapping into the air!

[Strictly Jake]

20/03/21

"i think a lot of people will have to re-consider their opinion on Boris, so many, including myself thought he didn't care, that he was only driven by his own ego ... i'm certainly changing my opinion"

21/03/20

"Are places of worship being put in lockdown?

It'll be interesting to see the reactions if the Mosques are told to go into lockdown."

"today the parks, carparks etc have been full, kids running around everywhere playing out together, parents standing around chatting"

22/03/20

"I did go for a walk this morning (government guidelines say it's ok)"

A group of almost 4,000 NHS workers in the UK have pleaded with the prime minister, Boris Johnson, to ensure they have adequate protective equipment to deal with the coronavirus crisis.

In an open letter to The Sunday Times, the medics have called on Johnson to “protect the lives of the life-savers” and resolve the “unacceptable” shortage of protective equipment.

The group said many medical workers are “putting their lives on the line every day” by treating coronavirus patients without appropriate protection, and they called on the prime minister to ensure an adequate supply of masks, safety glasses, gloves, aprons and protective suits.

Intensive care doctors and anaesthetists have told us they have been carrying out the highest-risk procedure, putting a patient on a ventilator, with masks that expired in 2015

Boris Johnson has tweeted asking everyone to stay at home and not visit vulnerable mums in person this Mothers Day.

The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, is facing mounting pressure to extend the coronavirus bailout to include the UK’s five million self-employed workers

23/03/20

"I do believe Boris is very capable. He can and will get tough really soon if these people continue to ignore him"

Ear, nose and throat surgeons say losing your sense of smell could be used as a key clinical indicator in otherwise symptom-free carriers of Covid-19.

Wuhan eases coronavirus lockdown

Wuhan, the centre of the coronavirus outbreak in China, has begun to loosen its two-month lockdown on citizens as more countries issued new restrictions to contain the pandemic..

Matt Hancock said stricter rules such as curfews or constraints on movement could come into place “very soon” and urged people still socialising or going to holiday locations to “stop it, and if you don’t stop it then we’re going to have to take more measures”.

He took a much tougher line than the prime minister on those defying social distancing rules, saying people carrying on as usual were being “incredibly unfair to go and socialise in the way we have seen”.
(Pffft hypocrite!!)

UK strategy likely to cause 35,000-70,000 excess deaths

The truth is that [Boris Johnson’s] performance so far has been chequered. Since the start he has appeared behind the curve. Considerable time that could have been spent preparing for the crisis appears to have been squandered. The World Health Organisation first warned of the risk of a deadly global pandemic in mid-January, by which point the coronavirus was spreading rapidly in China and parts of Asia. Yet the government spent much of February apparently distracted with fights with some of Britain’s institutions, including the civil service, the judiciary and the BBC. Even at the time many questioned why the prime minister disappeared from view for a week in the middle of the month to his grace-and-favour home in Kent. He did not preside over his first Cobra meeting to discuss the crisis until March 3. Even as the scale became apparent, Mr Johnson’s response to it has been uneven. For the most of the first half of March, the official advice was simply to wash one’s hands. On March 12, as countries across Europe and the world closed schools, restaurants, bars and shops and introduced lockdowns and travel bans, the government merely advised that those ill with coronavirus symptoms should self-isolate for seven days

Doctors including medics working in A&E who are trapped abroad after taking work trips and holidays abroad are desperate to join colleagues at home but say the Foreign Office and local embassies have been of no help

Six ambulances have had their tyres deliberately punctured in Kent

"I've just heard a woman in a Tesco's had the last pack of toilet rolls and a bloke came along grabbed the pack off her and coughed in her face, his wife laughed"

Lockdown finally announced

Boris Johnson has done an emergency announcement with police enforcement

"he said, in three short weeks things could be relaxed as long as we take this seriously."

initially last for the three weeks from 23 March, at which point the Government will look at them
again and relax them if the evidence shows this is possible.

24/03/20

Gove does not rule out lockdown rules getting even tighter after three weeks

Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, has been giving a series of interviews this morning. Here are the key points.

Gove only partially rejected claims that the government had acted too late, saying that this would be for others to judge in the future.

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, told LBC this morning that he argued at the Cobra emergency committee meeting that construction workers should be told to stay away from work, but that he was over-ruled by Boris Johnson.


"This lockdown is miserable"

"Its day 1"

"I'm cautiously optimistic that the rate of it spreading may well have peaked,"

25/03/20

China’s tough lockdown and social distancing measures in Wuhan and other provinces appear to have successfully ended coronavirus infections and may chart a route back to normal life.

UK coronavirus mass home testing to be made available 'within days'

Thousands of 15-minute home tests for coronavirus will be delivered by Amazon to people self-isolating with symptoms or will go on sale on high street within days,

Vets are giving ventilators usually used on animals to the NHS to help with equipment shortages.

26/03/20

Supermarkets to only let 10 people in at a time

Security guards are even being drafted in to the nation's food retailers, to enforce social distancing during the coronavirus epidemic and ensure a one in one out policy in shops which are at capacity.

Loss of smell and taste should be added to Covid-19 symptoms, says doctors

In the current climate, anyone with a positive test for Covid-19 will certainly be known to clinical staff looking after them: if any of these patients dies, staff will have to record the Covid-19 designation on the death certificate — contrary to usual practice for most infections of this kind. There is a big difference between Covid-19 causing death, and Covid-19 being found in someone who died of other causes. Making Covid-19 notifiable might give the appearance of it causing increasing numbers of deaths, whether this is true or not. It might appear far more of a killer than flu, simply because of the way deaths are recorded.

Clearly, the various lockdowns will slow the spread of Covid-19 so there will be fewer cases. When we relax the measures, there will be more cases again. But this need not be a reason to keep the lockdown: the spread of cases is only something to fear if we are dealing with an unusually lethal virus. That’s why the way we record data will be hugely important. Unless we tighten criteria for recording death due only to the virus (as opposed to it being present in those who died from other conditions), the official figures may show a lot more deaths apparently caused by the virus than is actually the case.

"Can I ask has anyone heard that we're on lockdown for 6 to 12 months"

"we will not be in lock down for 12 months, no way. The country would be bankrupt and people would have starved to death. We may be in lockdown for 6 weeks, but it will not be longer than that because people would not tolerate a lock down longer."

"A 6 month lock down is highly unlikely and a year is frankly impossible."

"People seem to think that a much longer one is safe or a good idea. You won't be able to feed your family. You will have no access to modern healthcare of any kind. You will be lucky if basic amenities like phone, gas and electricity supplies continue to function properly.

Millions would die in the UK alone, tens of millions would end up in permanent absolute poverty.

Not to mention the psychological effect of a 12 month lockdown."

"a virus doesn't last deadly that long, the fact if we were on lockdown for an entire year the economy would collapse entirely"

"Is anyone doing the clap for NHS at 8? From doors, balconies and windows"

"Did anyone else clap? I did"

"it's nice people are doing it but i think supermarket workers deserve the same appreciation as well."

"That was incredible! Every single household was out on my street cheering and clapping and the noise in the distance was huge. Proud moment."

[Strictly Jake]

So the next part involves the care home chaos. The lack of PPE due to government failings. Boris catching covid. And what are China up to??


27/03/20

the government is still not explicitly outlawing driving somewhere but is obviously trying to discourage people from making unnecessary journeys.

stay local and use open spaces near to your home where possible – do not travel unnecessarily
you should only go outside alone or with members of your own household

keep at least 2 metres apart from anyone outside your household at all times

gatherings of more than two in parks or other public spaces have been banned and the police will enforce this


Buckingham Palace today announced that this year’s Trooping the Colour - the annual military parade to mark the Queen’s official birthday -will now “not go ahead in its traditional form”.

the Department of Health dismissed calls for providing NHS staff with certain protective gear – now needed for the coronavirus pandemic – in 2017 because stockpiling it was too expensive

A temporary mortuary is to be opened at Birmingham airport in preparation for a predicted rise in the number of fatalities from coronavirus in the region.

Work has begun on the site, which will initially be able to hold 1,500 bodies, although it will be expanded to hold more.

State governors are crying out for federal help, not for themselves but for the people they represent: the nurses and doctors who need protective equipment and testing kits, the patients who need ventilators. But instead of leaping to their aid, Trump tells the governors it’s their responsibility, even though they have a fraction of the procurement power of the US government – adding that if they want help, they’d better grovel. “It’s a two-way street,” Trump said this week. “They have to treat us well.”

PM FORCED INTO ISOLATION

28/03/20

The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus around the world has now passed 600,000. However, with many countries, including the UK, now only testing the most-serious cases, the true extent of infections is likely to be much greater.

The prospect of weeks trapped at home has seen Britons embark on unlikely shopping sprees as they create home offices and gyms but also embrace hobbies ranging from dressmaking to jigsaw puzzling and growing their own veg.

British industry has thrown its weight behind the fight against Covid-19 in a wartime-style effort to churn out protective masks, hand sanitiser and medical ventilators. A raft of firms across the country, in sectors from manufacturing to fashion, are setting up emergency operations that often involve striking out into unfamiliar territory.

experts have said lockdown is on course to cut the number of deaths expected down to 5,700 from what was originally expected 260k

Youtube video

A crowdfunder to raise money for personal protective equipment in British hospitals has reached £400,000. The fundraising effort was launched by a group of NHS doctors and a GP to source PPE “for those who need it the most”. The group originally set a £200,000 target, but this was met in 48 hours.


Boris Johnson, the UK’s prime minister, is set to warn British citizens that the worst of coronavirus is yet to come, and that tougher measures may be necessary.

The country’s 30m households will receive a letter from the prime minister including the warning, along with details of the government’s orders on social distancing, symptoms and handwashing.

It comes as the UK braces for a surge in coronavirus cases.


Northern Ireland gets tougher restrictions

Gatherings of more than two people have been banned in Northern Ireland, and anyone who can work from home must do so, authorities have announced.

Authorities will have the power to enforce restriction of movement and social distancing in Northern Ireland, in a deal agreed by Stormont executive.

The measures will come into force at 11pm on Saturday night, and enable authorities to hand out fines up to £5,000. The regulations also give the authorities the power to close certain premises and prohibit anyone from leaving home without a reasonable excuse.

"apparently the UK is expecting the death toll to rise to 20,000 by the end"

"I don't want to bring people down any further, but the 20k is seen as an optimistic figure"


29/03/20

UK lockdown to be in place for 'significant period'

Michael Gove has said the peak of the coronavirus is dependent on people’s actions and that the lockdown will remain in place for a significant period.

"It’s difficult to know precisely [when the UK hit the peak of the coronavirus outbreak]. It depends on the action all of us take. if we practice the social distancing measures. If we follow the rules the government has outlined, if we follow that good scientific advice, then we can delay the infection rate and that gives our NHS the chance to become more resilient.


Care home managers are refusing to accept elderly people discharged from NHS hospitals owing to coronavirus fears, and one has said government-issued protective equipment for residents and staff is “completely useless”.

NHS trusts have been trying to discharge patients to free up capacity. Testing for the virus is not a requirement under discharge guidance issued by the government last week

A senior director at a London acute trust, who asked not to be named, told the Health Service Journal: “There’s a real problem with private care homes refusing to take patients back unless they’ve been tested for Covid-19. But [testing] is not the national guidance currently and there just aren’t enough testing kits to do it.

Another acute sector director in north-west England said: “We need care homes to be really robust. We’ve been hearing from colleagues that nursing homes won’t accept their residents back after they’ve been discharged from hospital, unless they’ve been fully swabbed [tested] for coronavirus. This is not the national guidance, and we aren’t able to do that right now. This could cause a huge issue.”

On Saturday the health secretary, Matt Hancock, wrote an open letter of thanks to social care workers. Hancock, who is in isolation after testing positive for Covid-19, said the government was committed to doing “whatever is needed” for social care and the NHS, including allowing workers from both sectors free parking in council-owned spaces

“Whilst many people are now staying at home, I know that is not an option for most of you as your work caring for others cannot be done from home,” he wrote. “We will do all we can to make your lives easier during this period, including, for example, making parking on council-owned on-street spaces and car parks free for those who work in social care. We are committed to doing whatever is needed; that promise applies just as much to social care as it does for the NHS.”


"Lockdown now until June"

"What?!"

"Where is that from?"

"Source?"

UK textile firms say they could have begun making the protective equipment NHS staff so desperately need 10 days ago, when @cabinetofficeuk first contacted them.

Yet the govt is yet to place a single order.

30/03/31

Another suspected casualty of Covid-19 in the British government has emerged, the prme minister’s senior adviser, Dominic Cummings.

A temporary emergency hospital could open at the Scottish exhibition centre in Glasgow to cope with a surge in critical coronavirus cases in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

The first minister said the so-called Nightingale hospital would be on standby, with a first tranche of 300 beds being installed and a potential total capacity of an extra 1,000 beds if needed.

It could be become operational in a fortnight, she said, but they hoped it would not be necessary

01/04/20

Only 15% of NHS staff have been tested

02/04/20

LBC Live reporting Bloomberg Reporters
are saying China is not giving the
true amounts of Deaths
or infected

There are 1.5 billion people in China, and nearly 60 million (basically the whole population of the UK) in Hubei province alone

Given that we now know that Covid-19 spreads relatively easily in the community, I find it... Far fetched

The big question of course is, did they ever really get to "zero new cases". I personally think it's BS, and part of a massive-scale economic race that's playing out on the sidelines while we're all focused on the virus itself.

Don't Forget that Great China Doctor
that found about Covid 19
in China was Silenced and sacked
he Died a Hero
of Covid 19.

China has concealed the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in its country, under-reporting both total cases and deaths it’s suffered from the disease, the U.S. intelligence community concluded in a classified report to the White House

The outbreak began in China’s Hubei province in late 2019, but the country has publicly reported only about 82,000 cases and 3,300 deaths

The reality is that we could have been better off if China had been more forthcoming. long before the world learned in December that China was dealing with this, and maybe as much as a month earlier than that, that the outbreak was real in China.

While China eventually imposed a strict lockdown beyond those of less autocratic nations, there has been considerable skepticism toward China’s reported numbers, both outside and within the country. The Chinese government has repeatedly revised its methodology for counting cases, for weeks excluding people without symptoms entirely, and only on Tuesday added more than 1,500 asymptomatic cases to its total.

Stacks of thousands of urns outside funeral homes in Hubei province have driven public doubt in Beijing’s reporting.

China isn’t the only country with suspect public reporting. Western officials have pointed to Iran, Russia, Indonesia and especially North Korea, which has not reported a single case of the disease, as probable under-counts. Others including Saudi Arabia and Egypt may also be playing down their numbers.


Because of the Lack of Testing
UK will remain in Lockdown

Only 30 new British-built ventilators will be delivered to the NHS next week to treat coronavirus patients, the government has admitted.

Cabinet office minister Michael Gove told a press conference on Tuesday that the "first of thousands" of new devices manufactured in the UK would be sent to the front line next week but he did not specify how many would be in the first delivery.

Officials admitted on Wednesday that the first batch will only include 30 ventilators, with hundreds more expected in the coming weeks.

The NHS currently has around 8,000 ventilators to treat coronavirus patients but another 30,000 devices will be needed to cope with the expected peak of the outbreak in April.