The big Coronavirus thread

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  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,866
    mr_goo said:

    Pross said:

    mr_goo said:

    Have there been any protests in Hong Kong lately? I've not heard of anything. All very convenient for Beijing.

    Ah, a tinfoil hat conspiracy I first heard weeks ago and wondered who would be the first to come up with it on here. I'd expected Coopster or maybe a return of Manc33
    Sorry to disappoint.
    I'm not of the conspiracy theory but do think it's massively convenient for Xi Jinping and his cohorts.
    You don’t know what a conspiracy theory is.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,790
    morstar said:

    Worth reading this thread summary of the UK strategy

    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1238518371651649538.html

    The closing statement is fantastic.

    “ Most encouraging, it's way too clever for #BorisJohnson to have had any role in developing. ”
    I was about to post the same. 🤣🤣🤣
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,941
    I'm superforecasting a busy summer for DIY retailers.

    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • kingstonian
    kingstonian Posts: 2,847

    I'm superforecasting a busy summer for DIY retailers.

    And divorce lawyers after everyone has worked from home for a month or two
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 58,525

    I'm superforecasting a busy summer for DIY retailers.

    And divorce lawyers after everyone has worked from home for a month or two
    True, cabin fever could be very widespread soon. I'm starting ton WFH as my default from next week and it doesn't fill me with joy even if it is a bit safer
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • Jeremy.89
    Jeremy.89 Posts: 457

    mrfpb said:

    Jeremy.89 said:

    Out in the USA working at the moment. Feels like the response has gone from 0 to 60 in no time at all...

    I expect as you probably know Trump is about to give a speech, talk of issuing a state of emergency to release funds.
    I'm wickedly hoping he'll announce he has it, after the visit from the Brazilians.
    Ha, nah he sounds great, greater than any other president in the world. Fifty bill on tap now. He seems to be sniffing a bit, ominous!

    My suspicion is that the US is in heading towards a catastrophe, as it seems they've been deliberately restricting testing to keep figures low, and the costs of testing will have added to the effect. I reckon give it a fortnight, and it's going to be a shîtstorm. Trump's shaken hands with more than one person who's been tested positive... not that I'd hope for anyone to become ill, you understand...
    I don’t get why you think the USA or heading for a catastrophe and we aren’t despite our current policy of letting it run. The only difference seems to be us claiming it is a deliberate policy.
    Can anyone pick holes in this? Unfortunately I can't.

    The only difference is our health care system.
    Not so different in terms of doctors and hospital beds per capita. Though we are a lot closer to them than other European countries.

    Fortunately the NHS has a far better PR team.
    But if you can get a bed, you don't have to choose between dying or going bankrupt like with the 30 million uninsured Americans.
    The US has a far bigger homeless problem, far less of a security net for people taking time off, and a healthcare system that's not really joined up or easy to navigate.

    And they haven't been testing enough people by a Longshot.

    When the virus gets into the homeless populations in cities like San Francisco, it's going to be very grim.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,790
    In the words of Jonathan Pie - "14 days of isolation, that's a lot of wanking. The loo roll makes sense now."
    Just to lighten things up a little.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,941

    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    well - we were off to the French alps in the morning - we were already having second thoughts - then checked the resort fb page - someone commented on there that there were dozens of people there unwell - but the resort is staying open for now as they're one of the few resorts left, so everyone is going there .. apparently.

    Eitherwhichway - I guess we've just given a holiday co a few grand just for the pleasure of it - because nobody is closing the resort or banning travel - no way we can go there now - we'd probably have to isolate on our return... and I really don't fancy getting ill in France and not being allowed on the aircraft back!
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 7,203
    edited March 2020
    slowbike said:

    well - we were off to the French alps in the morning - we were already having second thoughts - then checked the resort fb page - someone commented on there that there were dozens of people there unwell - but the resort is staying open for now as they're one of the few resorts left, so everyone is going there .. apparently.

    Eitherwhichway - I guess we've just given a holiday co a few grand just for the pleasure of it - because nobody is closing the resort or banning travel - no way we can go there now - we'd probably have to isolate on our return... and I really don't fancy getting ill in France and not being allowed on the aircraft back!

    Nightmare, sorry to hear that. Holiday companies are going to have to be bailed out, or I don't think there is any question they will go bust.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,391
    Sorry, which resort..?
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,941

    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 12,692
    And our long weekender trip to Valencia in 2 weeks is binned. Opposition are from Portugal and equally worried about poss impacts on return. Plus all bars closed, so... what's the point?

    Next milestone under threat is trip over to Westvlaanderen at end April.

    xxxx, life will get boring if all you can do is stay home and try to find something interesting on Netflix.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,730
    Some more economic numbers coming out.

    This time restaurant sector...



    Ugh
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,744
    edited March 2020

    P

    Worth reading this thread summary of the UK strategy

    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1238518371651649538.html

    The various sports authorities cancelling large scale events seems to have knocked out a central plank of the strategy. Lots of businesses really not doing their bit to accelerate the spread.

    If they find they can not control the spread then it is going to go down as one of the dumbest decisions in history.
    Yes I think they've been quite open in saying that is the strategy though. They've talked about herd immunity and flattening the curve so I don't think there is much in that summary that isn't accepted knowledge.

    Of course from an individual perspective it may be rational to let every other person catch it but try and avoid it yourself - a collective action problem if you like. At 51 but healthy say I'm not classed as high risk I'm probably in the category it makes sense for the govt to want to catch it - so long as I don't catch it at the same time as everyone else - but it still doesn't make sense for me to want to catch it.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674

    Worth reading this thread summary of the UK strategy

    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1238518371651649538.html

    "Schools: Kids generally won’t get very ill, so the govt can use them as a tool to infect others"
    Well thanks very much.

    I've already had to reduce my blood pressure meds on medical advice - the evidence suggests that hypertension is a risk factor and ACE inhibitors make it worse, i.e. I am in a high risk group.

    Meanwhile, in medical circles round here we have reached the "everyone has a friend of a friend who is infected" stage. And yes, most of the cases are doctors.
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674

  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 6,931
    Going to be a baby boom across Europe in December & January next. Alledgedly, a major porn site are giving free premium access to all Italians to 'help them pass the time'. Is that what they were all singing about?
  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190

    Going to be a baby boom across Europe in December & January next. Alledgedly, a major porn site are giving free premium access to all Italians to 'help them pass the time'. Is that what they were all singing about?

    Solve the pension crisis in one go.
    Cull the economically inactive (copyright Conservative party UK) and bring in a new generation.
    It’s like a co-ordinated plan.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,619

    Amidst all the panic buying, one item strangely untouched in the supermarket I noticed...
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 12,692
    morstar said:

    Going to be a baby boom across Europe in December & January next. Alledgedly, a major porn site are giving free premium access to all Italians to 'help them pass the time'. Is that what they were all singing about?

    Solve the pension crisis in one go.
    Cull the economically inactive (copyright Conservative party UK) and bring in a new generation.
    It’s like a co-ordinated plan.
    Weirdo. You could get a job in Downing Street.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,391
    Au revoir, France...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,866

    P

    Worth reading this thread summary of the UK strategy

    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1238518371651649538.html

    The various sports authorities cancelling large scale events seems to have knocked out a central plank of the strategy. Lots of businesses really not doing their bit to accelerate the spread.

    If they find they can not control the spread then it is going to go down as one of the dumbest decisions in history.
    Yes I think they've been quite open in saying that is the strategy though. They've talked about herd immunity and flattening the curve so I don't think there is much in that summary that isn't accepted knowledge.

    Of course from an individual perspective it may be rational to let every other person catch it but try and avoid it yourself - a collective action problem if you like. At 51 but healthy say I'm not classed as high risk I'm probably in the category it makes sense for the govt to want to catch it - so long as I don't catch it at the same time as everyone else - but it still doesn't make sense for me to want to catch it.
    Most rational course is probably to catch it early whilst they still have a hospital bed and ventilator if you need it.

    Bloke at work reckoned Queen Mary’s was offering £3.5k for volunteers to get injected.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,730


    This is the Spanish flu death chart by week.

    Have heard the worry with doing too much early on is people get less disciplined just as you head towards the more deadly second wave
  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,866
    Can somebody check my maths - we have boosted our testing capability to 10,000 a day. Am I right that it will take 17 years to test the entire population.

    If anywhere in the right ballpark then only testing serious cases is more necessity than a decision.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,730



    This is the Spanish flu death chart by week.

    Have heard the worry with doing too much early on is people get less disciplined just as you head towards the more deadly second wave

    So a follow up to this: this is what U.K. govt seems to be aiming for.


  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,391

    Can somebody check my maths - we have boosted our testing capability to 10,000 a day. Am I right that it will take 17 years to test the entire population.

    If anywhere in the right ballpark then only testing serious cases is more necessity than a decision.

    I didn't check the maths but seems about right to me. I saw that the W.H.O were 'urging countries to check everyone' and thought that - much as I think Boris is an appalling human being - that's just not possible right now.

    That said it would be useful for me to know definitively if I've had it or not simply because it changes my behaviour significantly in the past few days and future few weeks...

    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,866



    This is the Spanish flu death chart by week.

    Have heard the worry with doing too much early on is people get less disciplined just as you head towards the more deadly second wave

    So a follow up to this: this is what U.K. govt seems to be aiming for.


    And the rest of the world thinks that it is so contagious that they should do everything possible to slow the spread.

    I, the WHO and the rest of the world think that the UK will get overwhelmed and have no hope of flattening the peaks.

    Rick - you are usually hot on the primacy of Parliament- is it not a little strange this has not been properly debated and even voted on?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,730
    Erm. I hadn’t thought about it till you mentioned it so not sure what to think.