Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[agricola]

Macer Hall (of the Express) with a clearly planted question there.

 

[wayward bob]

They didn't say that. They relaxed the rules around testing that means you can now get tested without having a history of travel to an affected country or exposure to a confirmed case.

but only on admission to hospital with severe symptoms, i thought.

 

[Orang Utan]

A lot about isolating the elderly, but is there any advice about those of us who live with elderly relatives? Can't stay more than two metres away - it's a tiny flat and we eat together

 

[agricola]

but only on admission to hospital with severe symptoms, i thought.

thats what it will be from now on (but with any symptoms, not just severe)

 

[wayward bob]

not allowed in unless severe hence self-isolate with mild symptoms.

 

[elbows]

I will wait for serology surveys and other clues and hindsight about broader levels of infection.

By the way that was the thing Whitty was making reference to with his final comments in answer to a question about how much faith they had in international data.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Final Churchillian words from our brave Prime Minister:

Don't forget, wash your hands, and, uh, we will get through this

 

[Barking_Mad]

Are you actually watching or listening to the press conference?

Only, they have said the current number infected in the UK is likely to be between 10 & 12k.

Which is surely at odds with "4 weeks behind Italy"?

 

[agricola]

Actually they will still have methods for estimating stuff under the new regime. Whether they share the detail with us I dont know, probably they will share a number or two from it in regular updates rather than leave a void.

I rather suspect we'll all be told there were "only" 200 more infections today, that the worst is over etc etc etc

 

[cupid_stunt]

Which is surely at odds with "4 weeks behind Italy"?

No, because Italy is likely to currently have well over 100k cases.

 

[gaijingirl]

Aye, we’ve run out of gel at my work and we get a couple of thousand people through our doors every day

I've had mine nicked at school and apparently we're struggling to source any more supplies.

 

[mauvais]

This just in from Mrs B's employer, a university in northern england...

I got that today, I mentor one of their students.

 

[planetgeli]

School has bought us hand sanitizer. Hahaha. They never buy us anything.

Pupils are gonna be pissed off though. Wales online ran a story today saying we'd be shut by next Friday. Apparently not.

 

[kebabking]

A lot about isolating the elderly, but is there any advice about those of us who live with elderly relatives? Can't stay more than two metres away - it's a tiny flat and we eat together

The advice is one of two options - go elsewhere, or isolate as a unit.

That means you don't go to work, limit shopping, don't socialise with others.

It doesn't mean nailing the door shut, you can still go out for bike rides, walks, drives, but you must be rigourous in your hygiene/decontamination regimes while you're out and when you get back.

You are, roughly, in the same position as someone with you kids, and the advice is the same for them.

 

[Indeliblelink]

Heard schools might have to give up some of the summer holidays to catch up with lost teaching if they close.
Rise in parents looking for private tutors during any closures? Might just be because it's that time of year - pre-exams.

 

[redsquirrel]

It's happening by stealth. Durham has said they are finishing physical teaching a week early (moving to virtual); where I work is hurriedly putting in place plans to do the same and I've heard of similar happening elsewhere. But yeah, exactly, universities/colleges can be closed without needing parents to be off work and, depending on the course, it's relatively easy to complete the year/degree remotely.

Yep, this is true, the university I'm linked to is moving lectures online from 23rd March. Lecturers have been told to start prepping for that now. I suspect they've been told to do it by the government. But if they recognise the risks of universities (international students, highly mobile academics, crowded lecture theatres) it feels like they should act now rather than in two weeks.

Time for workers to double down on ASOS and screw the fuckers

 

[mauvais]

We're on a trial of enforced working from home on Monday.

I'm not yet two months into this specific role and from the beginning I've been arguing - for simple risk reasons - that we need to make one of our systems accessible from outside the building in order to have basic continuity. It's been my hobby horse that noone else really wanted to do, but I've cracked on with it anyway. Well now I look like a genius, and all it's taken is a global plague and several thousand deaths.

 

[Chilli.s]

So glad I resigned my job in a school, that filthy understaffed underfunded germ factory run by a child.

 

[PD58]

The big question is do we (ie as a society as well as on here) buy into the science as presented and hence the resulting strategy and act accordingly - it seems our approach is more strategic across time (proactive?) than reactive - is this the right approach, only time will tell.

According to the CSO the peak may still be 10-14 weeks away which is a long time to self isolate (if you are old) and to close things down; it was also interesting that the worst case scenario was 80% infection rate but CMO did not think this would be reached.

Nothing on reinfectiosn as part of the staying at home approach i.e. I get it pass it to my partner but start to improve, he/she then passes it back to me - can this happen or do i have some immunity? So much we still do not know.

I cannot image the grief anyone in public with cough is now going to get...

 

[Supine]

I thought the scientific and medical advisors made great explanations for why the response is currently so measured. All of the closures being discussed are obviously still on the table and will almost certainly get used over the next few weeks.

History will let us know how good the scientific advise turns out to be. Seems right to me at the moment.

 

[kazza007]

The big question is do we (ie as a society as well as on here) buy into the science as presented and hence the resulting strategy and act accordingly - it seems our approach is more strategic across time (proactive?) than reactive - is this the right approach, only time will tell.

According to the CSO the peak may still be 10-14 weeks away which is a long time to self isolate (if you are old) and to close things down; it was also interesting that the worst case scenario was 80% infection rate but CMO did not think this would be reached.

Nothing on reinfectiosn as part of the staying at home approach i.e. I get it pass it to my partner but start to improve, he/she then passes it back to me - can this happen or do i have some immunity? So much we still do not know.

I cannot image the grief anyone in public with cough is now going to get...

If you had, and it cleared, you are apparently no longer infectious.

 

[Orang Utan]

The advice is one of two options - go elsewhere, or isolate as a unit.

That means you don't go to work, limit shopping, don't socialise with others.

It doesn't mean nailing the door shut, you can still go out for bike rides, walks, drives, but you must be rigourous in your hygiene/decontamination regimes while you're out and when you get back.

You are, roughly, in the same position as someone with you kids, and the advice is the same for them.

thanks for that, i'm freaking out so much that i've had to stop looking at the newsfeeds, as my heart is pounding too much. I may go to work tomorrow to sort some shit out, then come back, have a Silkwood shower, then stay home until.. Until when? fuck

 

[littlebabyjesus]

This has probably already been said, but what kind of fucking state do we have to be in for Jeremy Hunt to be the voice of reason???

 

[treelover]

I’ve had flu jab and pneumonia immunisation which will probably do bugger all but here’s hoping.

Hopefully it’ll be wfh next week as the city descends into chaos.

I didn't know you couuld be inoculated from pneumonia, and i am in at risk groups, etc.

 

[elbows]

I didn't know you couuld be inoculated from pneumonia, and i am in at risk groups, etc.

There is a vaccine against one particular form of pneumonia, that is caused by a kind of strep bacteria. The vaccine wont do anything against all the other forms and causes of pneumonia.

 

[CNT36]

I didn't know you couuld be inoculated from pneumonia, and i am in at risk groups, etc.

I'm at risk too and it nearly took me out when I was 21. Gimme gimme gimme.

 

[CNT36]

There is a vaccine against one particular form of pneumonia, that is caused by a kind of strep bacteria. The vaccine wont do anything against all the other forms and causes of pneumonia.

Thought it may be something like that.

 

[prunus]

I didn't know you couuld be inoculated from pneumonia, and i am in at risk groups, etc.

Not specifically this one, just pneumococcal etc, but probably worth doing.

 

[DaveCinzano]

excellent tv series on drug use of PMs and El Presidentes, on youtube now

Altered Statesmen (TV Series) | Radio Times

Was that made by Peartree Productions by any chance?

 

[prunus]

Has anyone got a link to a transcript or replay of the press conference? I missed it and would like to read/hear the science justification. Thanks.