The big Coronavirus thread

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Comments

  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,864
    mrb123 said:

    based upon a lot of anecdotal evidence there will be a lot of companies ignoring Boris and shutting their offices next week.

    Doing the opposite of the rest of the world is a very high risk strategy - as a known lying untrustworthy censored it does feel like he is gambling for the sake of it

    As long as the main criticism of Boris's strategy is coming from those he defeated in the Tory leadership election rather than leading medical experts I'm fairly comfortable that he's taking a relatively sensible approach.
    I never mentioned internal Tory criticism so not sure where you got that from.

    To clarify I was pointing out that the rest of the world (presumably based on expert opinion) is pursuing the opposite strategy. Also interesting that business and sport are ignoring him and siding with the rest of the world.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,217
    Could do without my boss pressuring me to come in even though the firm has said it's up to us to WFH as much as we want.
  • Jack_Luke
    Jack_Luke Posts: 23
    Assistant Editor for BikeRadar.com. Keep up to date with my latest work here.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Switzerland has now 'done an Italy'
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • ddraver said:

    Switzerland has now 'done an Italy'

    Ignored that they had the virus for nearly a month and thus lost control of it?

    Or gone into shutdown?
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,864
    ddraver said:

    Switzerland has now 'done an Italy'

    there are a lot of people living in France doing a daily commute into Switzerland
  • mrfpb
    mrfpb Posts: 4,569
    Jack_Luke said:
    Why is Dylan the only one happy with the news?

  • mrfpb
    mrfpb Posts: 4,569
    Coronavirus fever has not yet reached Parkrun. All three of my local runs are still on tomorrow.
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 12,607
    Doubt there's many wheezy pensioners massing for Parkruns thobut.
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 12,607
    Called in local town supermarket to stock up on the vino, oh and some edibles as well, on way home.

    All ok, bar the panic emptied sections which do not include wines, up until turned round the last aisle and there's this blxxdy wumman coughing and spluttering all over the shop. FFS. Would be unacceptable behaviour in normal times let alone current weirdness. Sharp about turn and exit the other way round. Hands washed on return of course.
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 58,149
    edited March 2020
    elbowloh said:

    Stevo_666 said:

    Spot of anecdotal evidence from a mate who lives in Spain that things are not good there. A few days ago they had around 1,000 reported cases in Madrid alone and there was talk of quarantining Madrid, so he jumped on the first train down to Malaga where he has a small farm and is holed up there (and working remotely) for the foreseeable future. His only real problem is his old dear in the UK is pretty old and not in great shape and he feels (quite rightly) that he can't risk visiting.

    So a potential carrier (bearing in mind it can take 5-14 days to become symptomatic) decided to be selfish and took himself to a new area outside of the quarantine zone. Marvellous.

    This is how it fecking spreads.
    Clearly there was a risk. To be fair to him there was no quarantine zone in place and his main residence is in Malaga.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,878
    This Irish fella Dr Michael Ryan at the WHO is impressive.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,207
    orraloon said:

    Doubt there's many wheezy pensioners massing for Parkruns thobut.

    It's the advice from head office.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,207
    edited March 2020

    based upon a lot of anecdotal evidence there will be a lot of companies ignoring Boris and shutting their offices next week.

    Doing the opposite of the rest of the world is a very high risk strategy - as a known lying untrustworthy censored it does feel like he is gambling for the sake of it

    To be fair to Boris, following the advice of the people the Government pays to give advice on such matters doesn't really seem unreasonable. As I've asked above, why are people so sure we're doing it wrong rather than other countries?

    On the offices closing, we've gone the opposite way and after a day of WFH for everyone today whilst the bosses took stock of the latest advice we're back to having the office open on Monday. That said, considering most of the office has spent time at Cheltenham Festival this week I'm not sure I want to go in.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,878
    Not sure if this is UK policy but..oh oh

    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,207

    Not sure if this is UK policy but..oh oh

    I think that's in line with what I heard another country had done. I can't remember which one, possibly France or Spain.
  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 17,685
    ddraver said:
    Mostly advisory stuff there, but banning gatherings of more than 100, no more than 50 in restaurants, including staff, etc. Unnecessary travel, especially abroad, discouraged.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,878

    This Irish fella Dr Michael Ryan at the WHO is impressive.

    Looks like a farmer, speaks like a leader

    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,864
    Pross said:

    based upon a lot of anecdotal evidence there will be a lot of companies ignoring Boris and shutting their offices next week.

    Doing the opposite of the rest of the world is a very high risk strategy - as a known lying untrustworthy censored it does feel like he is gambling for the sake of it

    To be fair to Boris, following the advice of the people the Government pays to give advice on such matters doesn't really seem unreasonable. As I've asked above, why are people so sure we're doing it wrong rather than other countries?

    On the offices closing, we've gone the opposite way and after a day of WFH for everyone today whilst the bosses took stock of the latest advice we're back to having the office open on Monday. That said, considering most of the office has spent time at Cheltenham Festival this week I'm not sure I want to go in.
    But that advice will not be unanimous and the rest of the world has received advice and done the opposite. We may be right and the rest of the world wrong but it is an incredibly arrogant assumption that most people would back away from and reassess their position.
  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,864

    This Irish fella Dr Michael Ryan at the WHO is impressive.

    Looks like a farmer, speaks like a leader

    so do you think we can count him as thinking Boris is wrong.
  • awavey
    awavey Posts: 2,368
    But a politicians natural instinct is to act,to be seen to be doing something,anything regardless of how useful it actually is just to demonstrate how in control of things they are.

    It must actually be very difficult for someone like Boris to say actually the advice weve got says timing is more critical to get this the best outcome we can have,and the best outcome is still alot of people will die, so note none of the things others are doing are ruled out,but when we reach that point is critical to get right.

    And it has to be said there is no point in having governments fund research or expert advisors if all you do is copy what everyone else does anyway.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,581
    This isn't ebola though is it?

    Also, it turns out that Chris Whitty knows a thing or two about ebola himself...
  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,864
    awavey said:

    But a politicians natural instinct is to act,to be seen to be doing something,anything regardless of how useful it actually is just to demonstrate how in control of things they are.

    It must actually be very difficult for someone like Boris to say actually the advice weve got says timing is more critical to get this the best outcome we can have,and the best outcome is still alot of people will die, so note none of the things others are doing are ruled out,but when we reach that point is critical to get right.

    And it has to be said there is no point in having governments fund research or expert advisors if all you do is copy what everyone else does anyway.

    I agree with all of your points but still think it amazing that we have come to the opposite conclusion to the rest of the world. With the absence of extensive testing there has to be a massive risk that by the time our Govt acts it will be far too late.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,878

    so do you think we can count him as thinking Boris is wrong.

    Wouldn't necessarily say that.
    He was clear that societal buy in was crucial in successfully fighting the virus and it was a matter for each government to determine what would work in their country.


    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,878
    edited March 2020
    mrb123 said:

    This isn't ebola though is it?

    There's a bit cut from before the clip where he says just that.


    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,864

    so do you think we can count him as thinking Boris is wrong.

    Wouldn't necessarily say that.
    He was clear that societal buy in was crucial in successfully fighting the virus and it was a matter for each government to determine what would work in their country.


    but he is arguing that the most importantly thing is to act early and decisively. UK policy is to do nothing and keep the powder dry for when things get bad.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    edited March 2020
    "Secret" reports suggest any remaining ski season is about to come to a shuddering halt...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190

    awavey said:

    But a politicians natural instinct is to act,to be seen to be doing something,anything regardless of how useful it actually is just to demonstrate how in control of things they are.

    It must actually be very difficult for someone like Boris to say actually the advice weve got says timing is more critical to get this the best outcome we can have,and the best outcome is still alot of people will die, so note none of the things others are doing are ruled out,but when we reach that point is critical to get right.

    And it has to be said there is no point in having governments fund research or expert advisors if all you do is copy what everyone else does anyway.

    I agree with all of your points but still think it amazing that we have come to the opposite conclusion to the rest of the world. With the absence of extensive testing there has to be a massive risk that by the time our Govt acts it will be far too late.
    I don’t know the ins and outs but.
    I find it perfectly plausible that the RoW has received very similar advice to UK but RoW politicians have ignored it purely for reasons of perception and herd mentality.
    Assuming the UK advice is the concensus expert opinion, I think it is quite admirable to ignore the crowd.
    If it is simply ‘the advice I like the best’ amongst a sea of varied opinions then that is a slightly different matter.
    We’ve seen what ill informed crowd mentality has done to the shops though so there is no shame in forging a different yet informed path.
    Will have to wait and see.
    I’m asthmatic, wife still rattles after breathing problems she picked up in October, mum late 70’s with all round ropey respiratory system and dad quite a weak 83 year old.
    It has actually hit home that there is a real possibility one (or more) of us may quite possibly not see this one out.
    Don’t get me wrong, not sat here panicking or anything and under no illusions parents don’t live forever. But the fact there is a tangible threat and the sensible thing is to not go and see them is quite frustrating.
  • capt_slog
    capt_slog Posts: 3,939
    I went to see my mum in her new care home this afternoon. We went into to her bedroom to measure up for a piece of furniture that I had in the car before actually carrying it to the room. Yep, it will fit, so went back to the car outside to fetch it

    As we came back through the door with said bit of furniture, they informed us that they'd shut!

    We explained that we'd already been in to see mum, and just needed to drop 'this' off and so they let us in. Whilst we were there a nurse came round with a note for mum, explaining that they'd shut the doors to visitors in the near future as a precaution. She was upset when we left, because we are the last family she could see for some time.

    We didn't tell her what the manager had told her, that one of the staff had developed cold-like symptoms and was being tested.

    Feel bad putting her in there now. But I suppose it could have been worse, we went to her house each time expecting to find her fallen or something. Where she is, she's being looked after.



    The older I get, the better I was.