Off Topic Coronavirus

[sb_73]

I don't believe that there should, or could, be any compulsion in future rules. In fact I'd have preferred that everybody had been allowed to make up their own minds from the outset. I heard someone on the radio yesterday who used to work for the WHO (roadie, I think) saying that there was nothing 'magic' in the two metre rule and that in fact the likelihood of contracting the virus was much more to do with the length of time that you were in contact with a carrier. Very early in the piece I read something which suggested that you would need to be in close contact with a carrier for perhaps fifteen minutes to contract the virus. This was subsequently discredited of course, but I've never really believed that passing within two metres of someone in the street could put me, or them, in any danger.

What brought this home to me was the example given of pubs being open but elderly people barred from them. Which I found rather shocking.

Showing what exactly?

I notice they don’t use the deaths per million international comparison with the misleading scale any more though. I wonder why? I’m quite glad, I thought it was going to bring on some kind of fit in me.

 

[qprbeth]

Have we actually done 100,000 tests a day yet?

On 30th April, we acheived 122,000 tests but these included 40, 000 home test kits that were sent out on that day. They are now coming back and being tested, as they come in.
May 3rd we were at 76,500 tests. Again these will include home kits sent out on that day.

There seems to be two major flaws in the testing system.

The unreliability of the test; which includes the rather large number of "unclear" results, meaning repeat tests and lack of clarity to the person/patient involved

The centralisation of the method. Central labs are processing the samples (that was initialised to make scale up better, and to increase the experise) but is taking longer to work efficiently and is also acting a little like a juggernaught. Many of the in house viral testing laboratories in the bigger hospitals do not seem to be involved. Other countries semm to be using less centralised systems.

 

[qprbeth]

What brought this home to me was the example given of pubs being open but elderly people barred from them. Which I found rather shocking.
.

Now this is going to be fun...
I can imagine having to go into a pub and prove my age again..."No honest I am under 65 ...I was born 1953, no I mean 1954....no 1955...Oh Doh!"...

"OK I will leave".

Meeting young kids on the corner, and asking them to go and get me a pint whist I sit in the pub garden, behind the tree.

 

[sb_73]

27 million people in the UK are now being supported by the state. The furlough scheme, paying (rightly) 80% of the wages of 6.3 million people will soon cost as much as the NHS - £11 billion a month.

Source: Chancellor of the Exchequer.

NHSX Track and trace app being piloted on the Isle of Wight.

My inclination is to download this app when it is available as it should help ease the restrictions. But it does look more centralised, invasive and open to abuse than many other countries’ versions. To work effectively it will need about 60% of us to use it. Singapore, one of the most centralised and obedient societies on earth, achieved an uptake of 20% to its app. I will keep an eye on uptake, if it’s clear we are not getting to useful levels I will delete.

 

[qprbeth]

Dunno if anyone can post (I think you need a subscription) but there was a very good article in the Times on Sunday about the work of West Middlesex Hospital in the A&E Dept during these times.
I go there to drop off patients in an almost daily occurrence and they all do a fantastic job. Might interest some of you to see the stresses and strains that we are under.

Stainsey...PM me your address and it will be in the post to you before you can say Ebere Eze.

I will warn you it is a shocking and heartbreaking read though, but I am sure you more than anyone knows that.

 

[Staines R's]

Stainsey...PM me your address and it will be in the post to you before you can say Ebere Eze.

I will warn you it is a shocking and heartbreaking read though, but I am sure you more than anyone knows that.

I read it Beth, a very good read it was too.
Just wanted others in here to see it too. Thanks as always

 

[bobmid]

I personally wont be downloading this tracker app. I have various reasons, one being, that I dont trust this government in the slightest. Have we done 100,000 tests yet daily?

 

[Star of David Bardsley]

I personally wont be downloading this tracker app. I have various reasons, one being, that I dont trust this government in the slightest. Have we done 100,000 tests yet daily?

Apparently our version of it is the one other governments decided was too intrusive. I know our government are the best government there is but I smell a small rat.

 

[bobmid]

Apparently our version of it is the one other governments decided was too intrusive. I know our government are the best government there is but I smell a small rat.

Yep, not for me.

 

[Staines R's]

I think to be fair setting up the 'Furlough' scheme in such a short time frame and perhaps less so the self-employed scheme were achieved just about as quickly as possible. There are still too many caught outside the remit who will face a wipe-out though. It's very easy to pick holes in everything they do but this is unprecedented. If it were a school report they'd probably be worth no more than a 'D'...

Sorry missed this Soops.....Yeah I’ll give them that one. Totally correct. Disgusting that some companies are using the scheme then making staff redundant anyway. Can’t fault the government in that one

 

[Staines R's]

The Dog Collar is in the post mate...

If you look at the other thread....sadly the dog collar has been well and truly tarnished

 

[Staines R's]

Now this is going to be fun...
I can imagine having to go into a pub and prove my age again..."No honest I am under 65 ...I was born 1953, no I mean 1954....no 1955...Oh Doh!"...

"OK I will leave".

Meeting young kids on the corner, and asking them to go and get me a pint whist I sit in the pub garden, behind the tree.

This post deserves more likes

 

[qprbeth]

I personally wont be downloading this tracker app. I have various reasons, one being, that I dont trust this government in the slightest. Have we done 100,000 tests yet daily?

Ignore me then Bob...I have answered this

On 30th April, we acheived 122,000 tests but these included 40, 000 home test kits that were sent out on that day. They are now coming back and being tested, as they come in.
May 3rd we were at 76,500 tests. Again these will include home kits sent out on that day.

There seems to be two major flaws in the testing system.

The unreliability of the test; which includes the rather large number of "unclear" results, meaning repeat tests and lack of clarity to the person/patient involved

The centralisation of the method. Central labs are processing the samples (that was initialised to make scale up better, and to increase the experise) but is taking longer to work efficiently and is also acting a little like a juggernaught. Many of the in house viral testing laboratories in the bigger hospitals do not seem to be involved. Other countries semm to be using less centralised systems.

I am sure that the government are not counting the home kits twice.
I am sure that they are not counting it when it goes out (eg the 40,000 home kits when they went out on the 30th April) and then when they come back and are actually assayed. I am sure they wouldn't do that!

I have also been alerted to the different in word usage between the "number of assays done" compared to "the number of patients assayed".
Due to repeat assays to front line NHS staff, the repeating of assays where no clear results are obtained, the releasing of patients only after two negative CoVid19 tests (which I am not sure is now practice) the number of patients tested is far below the number of tests done

 

[bobmid]

Ignore me then Bob...I have answered this



I am sure that the government are not counting the home kits twice.
I am sure that they are not counting it when it goes out (eg the 40,000 home kits when they went out on the 30th April) and then when they come back and are actually assayed. I am sure they wouldn't do that!

I have also been alerted to the different in word usage between the "number of assays done" compared to "the number of patients assayed".
Due to repeat assays to front line NHS staff, the repeating of assays where no clear results are obtained, the releasing of patients only after two negative CoVid19 tests (which I am not sure is now practice) the number of patients tested is far below the number of tests done

I could/would never ignore you beth

 

[Stroller]

Record numbers of the population have trust in the government apparently - 60%.

Is that really surprising when they have a daily party political/propaganda broadcast? I still try to avoid them, but two I had to turn off recently were particularly egregious examples. Firstly, Priti Patel telling us all about how she'd managed to reduce crime whilst everyone was locked away and then Hancock's Oscar acceptance speech after pretending to have achieved his own target of 100,000 tests a day, which we now know he didn't. Anyone watching this crap without a critical eye is going to think they're doing well.

 

[QPR Oslo]

I don't believe that there should, or could, be any compulsion in future rules. In fact I'd have preferred that everybody had been allowed to make up their own minds from the outset. I heard someone on the radio yesterday who used to work for the WHO (roadie, I think) saying that there was nothing 'magic' in the two metre rule and that in fact the likelihood of contracting the virus was much more to do with the length of time that you were in contact with a carrier. Very early in the piece I read something which suggested that you would need to be in close contact with a carrier for perhaps fifteen minutes to contract the virus. This was subsequently discredited of course, but I've never really believed that passing within two metres of someone in the street could put me, or them, in any danger.

I have read of tests showing corona can spray a good 4 meters in cool dry air. So was pretty shocked to read Norway is reducing the social distancing recommendation from 2 meters to 1 meter.

 

[Star of David Bardsley]

Is that really surprising when they have a daily party political/propaganda broadcast? I still try to avoid them, but two I had to turn off recently were particularly egregious examples. Firstly, Priti Patel telling us all about how she'd managed to reduce crime whilst everyone was locked away and then Hancock's Oscar acceptance speech after pretending to have achieved his own target of 100,000 tests a day, which we now know he didn't. Anyone watching this crap without a critical eye is going to think they're doing well.

It’s getting harder to manipulate the charts to paint us in a good light. Probably time to throw someone relatively innocent under a bus.

The Raabster on stage now looking like a trader on a comedown from a night on the gear explaining why he’s having to let half the team go after ****ing up a huge investment in a Ghanaian diamond mine.

 

[CroydonCaptainJack]

Showing what exactly?

You not watched one yet ?

New cases, number of tests, number of cases in hospitals, critical care cases, deaths etc

 

[CroydonCaptainJack]

I personally wont be downloading this tracker app. I have various reasons, one being, that I dont trust this government in the slightest. Have we done 100,000 tests yet daily?

I will as I want to help in any way I can.
One of the only good things we have seen from this thing is the increase in community spirit. I really hope it continues.

 

[Staines R's]

I will as I want to help in any way I can.
One of the only good things we have seen from this thing is the increase in community spirit. I really hope it continues.

Agree to some extent.....but it’s also brought out the worst in some