Coronavirus

[1892-LFCWasBorn]

 

Forward to 11:10 for Professor Dr John Ashton. What a guy!

[Duff Man]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/15/coronavirus-health-experts-fear-epidemic-will-let-rip-through-uk

 

Quote

Coronavirus: health experts fear epidemic will ‘let rip’ through UK

Doctors and scientists urge government to stop ignoring strategies from countries that have brought cases down

 

Public health experts and hundreds of doctors and scientists at home and abroad are urging the UK government to change its strategy against coronavirus, amid fears it will mean the epidemic “lets rip” through the population.

They say the UK is turning its back on strategies that have successfully brought down the numbers of infections and deaths in other countries.

 

On Thursday, Boris Johnson and his medical and scientific advisers announced that only those seriously ill in hospital would be tested. Anyone who had any symptoms should self-isolate at home for seven days, without notifying the NHS.

 

Banning mass gatherings would not help reduce the spread of infections, the prime minister and his advisers said – although it now seems likely, largely in response to sporting and entertainment bodies cancelling events of their own accord.

 

Anthony Costello, a UK paediatrician and former director of the World Health Organization (WHO), said he had personally written to the chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, asking for testing to continue in the community.

 

“The key principles from WHO are intensive surveillance,” he told the Guardian. “You test the population like crazy, find out where the cases are, immediately quarantine them and do contact tracing and get them out of the community. This deals with family clusters. That’s the key bedrock of getting this under control.”

 

This was how South Korea, China, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan had brought their case numbers down. “You can really take people out of the population and make sure they are quarantined. That is vital – before you get to social distancing.”

 

Yet the UK government was stopping tests outside of hospital. “For me and the WHO people I have spoken to, this is absolutely the wrong policy. It would mean it just lets rip,” he said.

 

Costello thinks we will be in the same position as Italy within two weeks. “The basic public health approach is playing second fiddle to mathematical modelling,” he said.

 

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s director general, expressed his deep concern on Friday at the end of testing and contact tracing in the UK and some other European countries.

 

“You can’t fight a virus if you don’t know where it is,” he said. “Find, isolate, test and treat every case to break the chains of Covid transmission. Every case we find and treat limits the expansion of the disease.”

 

Devi Sridhar, professor of global public health at The University of Edinburgh, listed on Twitter the reasons for continuing to test. “1 People can alter behaviour based on whether they have Covid. 2 Break chains of transmission. 3 Local hospitals can plan for how many patients will need care. 4 To know where cases are emerging (hotspots). 5 How do we know how large problem is?”

 

A government minister in Singapore has also expressed dismay. “One concern we have with cases such as UK and Switzerland isn’t just about the numbers. It is that these countries have abandoned any measure to contain or restrain the virus,” minister for national development, Lawrence Wong, said at a press briefing on Sunday. “If there’s no attempt to contain, we estimate the number of cases in these countries to rise significantly in the coming days and weeks.”

 

An open letter from a group including some of the UK’s most senior doctors asked the government to publish the modelling and any other evidence for the policies it is pursuing. “Our country’s public health response to Covid-19 is demonstrably different to most other countries’ responses globally and in Europe … There is also no clear indication that the UK’s response is being informed by experiences of other countries in containing the spread of Covid-19,” it said, pointing out the risks to the NHS of a rapid and huge surge in cases of people needing hospital treatment. The UK has 2.5 beds per 1,000 people in the population, they said, which is fewer than France (6), Italy (3.2) and the United States (2.8).

 

Immunologists, in a separate open letter, said they had “significant questions” about the government’s apparent strategy to rely on building up “herd immunity” by exposure to the virus in the UK. Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, has suggested this might be a good outcome from many people becoming infected.

 

Herd immunity is usually brought about by vaccination – not exposing people to the risks of a disease. “The ultimate aim of herd immunity is to stop disease spread and protect the most vulnerable in society. However, this strategy only works to reduce serious disease if, when building that immunity, vulnerable individuals are protected from becoming ill, for example through social distancing. If not, the consequences could be severe,” says the letter from the British Society for Immunology.

 

Behavioural scientists joined the concern, saying they believed the government should immediately bring in social distancing measures and not delay for fear of the public getting “behavioural fatigue”.

 

“If ‘behavioural fatigue’ truly represents a key factor in the government’s decision to delay high-visibility interventions, we urge the government to share an adequate evidence base in support of that decision. If one is lacking, we urge the government to reconsider these decisions,” wrote Prof Ulrike Hahn from Birkbeck, University of London, and others.

 

[Spy Bee]

1 minute ago, Barry Wom said:

Fuck, that's 1 in 13 and there's still loads of that 24k who I assume are not clear if it. 

I hear the brothels are shut too? Fuck knows how you'll keep occupied over there. 

Italy isn't testing enough people to get accurate measures. Like we are now doing, they are only testing ill people. In South Korea where they have tested loads of people, the death rate is 0.8%.

[SasaS]

19 minutes ago, Rico1304 said:

I think it’ll be a monumental event in recent history. It’ll change the way we view the world and will impact on generations to come. But he probably won’t turn up. 
 

(That’s a joke before you get all excited) 

 

10 minutes ago, Strontium Dog™ said:

 

I think we're going to end up with a lot of very embarrassed people.

 

14 minutes ago, alles ist gut said:

Tens of millions will die globally

also Rylan will get a second series of Supermarket Sweep, so pretty grim.

 

18 minutes ago, Pistonbroke said:

 

Hard to say, but I'm sure things are going to get a whole lot worse unless they can stumble upon a cure quicker than they anticipate. It's also going to have so many knock on effects, a lot of people are still not taking things seriously, that's not a good thing. 

 

I think the panic will continue increasing over the next couple of weeks then we will grow tired of it and learn to live with it. The deaths will increase but not dramatically, it will be close to influenza levels and slowly move away from the front pages, people will be dying, but it won't be big news anymore. There will be some positive effects in increased global cooperation and healthcare.  

 

Alternatively, if it explodes and threatens society and order, as in some post apocalyptic scenario, the society will sacrifice the vulnerable in some tacit agreement.

 

[Spy Bee]

16 minutes ago, J-V said:

The Chinese cunts who kicked all of this off have a handle on it.

 

Citizens starting to go back to work in Wuhan.

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china-idUSKBN20Y03W

 

Temporary Hospitals closing.

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/coronavirus-wuhan-masks-video-doctors-nurses-hospital-a9402631.html

 

Whilst good old Great Britain and the leadership of utter cunts sit on their hands waiting the inevitable that is currently on show in Italy and Spain.

@remindmein 3 weeks.

 

This virus hasn't disappeared. Either the number being reported by China are wrong, or their restrictions are still very much in place.

[Barrington Womble]

11 minutes ago, Pistonbroke said:

I can see rationing coming back in, police and Army patrolling the streets and trying to keep order in the shops etc. The supply chains are already under a massive strain and certain countries will be keeping hold of their stuff for their own people, especially food, medicine, masks and disinfectants. Electrical goods will probably be cheaper though. 

I suppose at least we'll get some practice in for no-deal Brexit in December. 

[Spy Bee]

16,000 approximate cases in UK, which is 0.02% of the population. So extrapolating, that's 175,00 deaths. This is serious shit and anybody who thinks it'll just fizzle out is deluded or an eternal optimist.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

German Government have already said that they will be phasing in a load more of measures that will drastically affect how people go about their everyday life. How long before most countries start using martial law to ensure people follow the curfews and new rules? Like it or not, its probably going to happen. 

[Anubis]

Just now, Barry Wom said:

I suppose at least we'll get some practice in for no-deal Brexit in December. 

By December the no deal Brexiteers will be crying to rejoin the EU...

[J-V]

2 minutes ago, Pistonbroke said:

German Government have already said that they will be phasing in a load more of measures that will drastically affect how people go about their everyday life. How long before most countries start using martial law to ensure people follow the curfews and new rules? Like it or not, its probably going to happen. 

It should have already happened.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

3 minutes ago, Barry Wom said:

I suppose at least we'll get some practice in for no-deal Brexit in December. 

 

I doubt very much that Brexit will be happening by then mate, it will have to be put on hold until this thing is over. 

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Just now, J-V said:

It should have already happened.

 

Takes a lot of planning mate, you can be sure that various Governments are putting things in place. 

[J-V]

1 minute ago, Pistonbroke said:

 

Takes a lot of planning mate, you can be sure that various Governments are putting things in place. 

The Uk will be a few months behind though.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

2 minutes ago, J-V said:

The Uk will be a few months behind though.

 

I would have thought they'd be one of the first mate. If the expected happens and society starts breaking down there'll be troops on the streets before you know it. I was reading earlier that the Germans are already mobilising troops to help out in certain areas like hospitals, flying in food to certain areas etc. I know we all like to have a whine at Governments but it can't be an easy time for them as they are going to make decisions that will piss a lot of people off.  

[Barrington Womble]

13 minutes ago, Anubis said:

By December the no deal Brexiteers will be crying to rejoin the EU...

I honestly think they're mental enough to keep banging on about their sovereignty and Dunkirk spirit. 

[Carradona]

56 minutes ago, KMD7 said:

From Fb

 

 

Two cunts.

[A Red]

When you go shopping please try to get a few extra things, if you can afford it, for your local food bank. There are thousands of people that a reduction in hours or a job loss puts them immediately in poverty.

[Captain Turdseye]

12 minutes ago, Pistonbroke said:

 

I doubt very much that Brexit will be happening by then mate, it will have to be put on hold until this thing is over. 

Nothing is more important than us leaving the EU. 

[Barrington Womble]

5 minutes ago, Pistonbroke said:

 

I would have thought they'd be one of the first mate. If the expected happens and society starts breaking down there'll be troops on the streets before you know it. I was reading earlier that the Germans are already mobilising troops to help out in certain areas like hospitals, flying in food to certain areas etc. I know we all like to have a whine at Governments but it can't be an easy time for them as they are going to make decisions that will piss a lot of people off.  

I believe the forced in the UK have already had all.leace cancelled. But I was hearing a lot of it will be chain reaction, all the medics in the forces and police are going to help in the hospitals and then the army will back fill the police. 

[Barrington Womble]

2 minutes ago, A Red said:

When you go shopping please try to get a few extra things, if you can afford it, for your local food bank. There are thousands of people that a reduction in hours or a job loss puts them immediately in poverty.

Trouble is mate all those non persishable things you normally get for the food bank are stripped bare off the shelves. About the only thing left is fucking corn flakes. 

[Red Phoenix]

The UK and US are too arrogant to follow the methods of China and Korea, even though they've done so well with stopping the rapid spread of this so far.

 

We know best.

 

Well we're about to find out what that means.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Just now, Barry Wom said:

I believe the forced in the UK have already had all.leace cancelled. But I was hearing a lot of it will be chain reaction, all the medics in the forces and police are going to help in the hospitals and then the army will back fill the police. 

 

I can confirm all leave has been cancelled as my mate who is still in the forces had his cancelled, (not sure if it is a blanket ban or just specific corps, he's in the Royal Logistic Corp so it makes sense to have them helping out) 

[Guest Pistonbroke]

4 minutes ago, Captain Turdseye said:

Nothing is more important than us leaving the EU. 

I'm sure plenty still think like that, John. 

[redinblack62]

Johnson will just shout "Get Brexit Done" at the Virus, and it will disappear, and that will be the end of it, And all the fucking idiots who voted for him will queue up to blow him. Job Done, easy.

[A Red]

3 minutes ago, Barry Wom said:

Trouble is mate all those non persishable things you normally get for the food bank are stripped bare off the shelves. About the only thing left is fucking corn flakes. 

I know what you mean but where it is possible people should try to do it. I'm sure there are plenty on here that have never donated to a food bank (not a criticism) but now is the time to try to do so.