Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[Supine]

I actually thought that results where it had been used in severe cases looked like it wasn't a goer as a potential treatment

It's being clinically trialled the UK at the moment. No results yet.

 

[David Clapson]

It's used to treat other illnesses. Pretty soon there'll be a shortage of it because Trump's promotion of it will lead to increased demand.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Oops. This is a promising start...

Coronavirus: Serco apologises for sharing contact tracers' email addresses

Outsourcing giant Serco has apologised for the data breach, which affects almost 300 people.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Red Cat]

Interview with Devi Sridhar

Devi Sridhar: Wealth is the best shielding strategy for this virus - and from severe symptoms

'What struck me is that it’s unclear what the UK Government’s goal is. What is the strategy?'

www.telegraph.co.uk

That's a very helpful interview for clarity about strategy, or rather lack of it, and the political choices the governement have made.

 

[SpookyFrank]

I've said before that I consider it to be a partial red herring though, because I think that their influenza planning would also have been a poor fit for a really bad influenza pandemic, and dont get me started on funding priorities over many years.

Yes their own planning found that we were woefully unprepared for a flu outbreak and had they addressed that we would have had more ventitlators, more PPE, more contact tracing protocols ready to go.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Oops. This is a promising start...

Coronavirus: Serco apologises for sharing contact tracers' email addresses

Outsourcing giant Serco has apologised for the data breach, which affects almost 300 people.

www.bbc.co.uk

These companies always fail at everything and always get more work because they cut the most corners and put in the lowest bids. Fucking sorry state of affairs, and entirely predictable of course.

 

[zahir]

These companies always fail at everything and always get more work because they cut the most corners and put in the lowest bids. Fucking sorry state of affairs, and entirely predictable of course.

.

'No one had any idea': Contact tracers lack knowledge about Covid-19 job

Employees told to consult YouTube for advice on how to deal with a bereaved person

www.theguardian.com

People hired to contact those exposed to someone with Covid-19 and advise them to self-isolate have reported spending days just trying to log into the online system, and virtual training sessions that left participants unclear about their roles.

New contact tracers have been told to rely on a two-page script and a list of frequently asked questions, both seen by the Guardian. When one taking part in a training session, run by contact centre company Sitel, asked for guidance on how to speak with somebody whose loved one had died of coronavirus, they were reportedly told to look at YouTube videos on the topic.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Our local rag, quoting ONS data, reports that up to 8th May, there was 59 Covid-19 registered deaths in Worthing - 32 in care homes, 24 in hospital, and 3 in hospices, other community establishments or elsewhere.

So over 50% in care homes.

 

[editor]

Rightly getting shitloads of flack

A multi-academy trust has come under fire for sending an email about reopening schools that focuses on its risk of legal action rather than safety.

In the message, the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership chief executive tells his heads about two pieces of news that "should give us all comfort".

Alun Williams writes that lawyers have said that the schools and trust "would not be liable for prosecution if someone contracted the virus while schools were open".

"Additionally," he continues, "it would be hard to prove that you had picked the virus up on a school site!!"

Anger at ‘arrogant’ academy email on coronavirus risks

Heads should be comforted because ‘it would be hard to prove that you had picked the virus up on a school site!!’, says MAT CEO

www.tes.com

 

[two sheds]

Rightly getting shitloads of flack

Anger at ‘arrogant’ academy email on coronavirus risks

Heads should be comforted because ‘it would be hard to prove that you had picked the virus up on a school site!!’, says MAT CEO

www.tes.com

Midsomer Murders

 

[editor]

If it's good enough for Trump...

UK bulk buys hydroxychloroquine as potential Covid-19 treatment

Drug taken by Trump being acquired in case it proves effective against coronavirus

www.theguardian.com

A source with knowledge of the contract said the drug was being bought in bulk so that if it proves to be effective as a treatment there is a ready supply. “All of the drugs being purchased can be used to treat other conditions too so they don’t really go to waste if they aren’t proved effective for Covid,” the source said.

Other drugs being bought as part of the £35m contract include 1.4m tablets of lopinavir-ritonavir, which is used to treat people who are HIV positive; dexamethasone as an oral solution; and 20m azithromycin capsules in packs of up to six.

A Whitehall source said the purchase of hydroxychloroquine was related to current clinical trials to evaluate it as a treatment for people with Covid-19, adding that it should only be taken on prescription or as part of a controlled clinical trial.

Conclusions Hydroxychloroquine has received worldwide attention as a potential treatment for covid-19 because of positive results from small studies. However, the results of this study do not support its use in patients admitted to hospital with covid-19 who require oxygen.

Clinical efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in patients with covid-19 pneumonia who require oxygen: observational comparative study using routine care data

Objective To assess the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine in patients admitted to hospital with coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) pneumonia who require oxygen. Design Comparative observational study using data collected from routine care. Setting Four French tertiary care centres providing...

www.bmj.com

 

[Raheem]

Cue Trump citing this as yet more evidence he's a genius.

 

[kabbes]

Assuming it really is true that they won’t go to waste once they are inevitably found to be useless against COVID-19, it actually makes good sense to bulk buy them before they run out. It’s sensible preparation. If they have a use-by date that is likely to be too short to allow them to be useful, however, it’s less obviously a good move.

 

[two sheds]

We're certainly protected if there's an outbreak of malaria in Croydon. Also I hope we're not buying up so much that countries needing it to actually treat malaria can't get it.

 

[kabbes]

It’s not just used for malaria. The kabbess was prescribed a course last year for a different condition.

 

[two sheds]

Fair comment, and not for all forms of malaria apparently.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

I actually thought that results where it had been used in severe cases looked like it wasn't a goer as a potential treatment

the "leader of the free world" is using it, surely that tells you something...

 

[MickiQ]

the "leader of the free world" is using it, surely that tells you something...

It does indeed but not that it is effective against coronavirus

 

[kabbes]

She couldn’t finish the course, incidentally, because of the danger generated by the side effects. This is not a trivial drug.

 

[Teaboy]

She couldn’t finish the course, incidentally, because of the danger generated by the side effects. This is not a trivial drug.

Aye, and its not even especially effective against Malaria. I've been prescribed it twice and also gave up taking it both times. Horrible drug and Malaria seemed like a better option quite frankly.

We're certainly protected if there's an outbreak of malaria in Croydon. Also I hope we're not buying up so much that countries needing it to actually treat malaria can't get it.

I don't know whether its a treatment for Malaria. I believe its used more as an anti-malarial or at least that was how it was when I was prescribed it. You take it for a couple of weeks before going to a Malaria zone and then all the time you are there and for a couple of weeks afterwards.* Certainly its not practical for anyone living in a Malarial zone, then again it might be part of treatment for those who contract it.

* Which is in keeping with how Trump is apparently using it.

 

[frogwoman]

Commons return will ‘euthanise’ MPs, Jacob Rees-Mogg is warned

Senior Tory backbencher attacks proposal to return to physical parliament in June

www.theguardian.com

Possible Tory rebellion

 

[Teaboy]

Just having a look at the latest Private Eye and there is some grim reading regarding the knock on effect of Healthcare being so focused on one thing. We're building up a potential catastrophe here both now and later down the line.

 

[Steel Icarus]

Colonel Tom Moore getting a knighthood. Good for him, but what a national fucking embarrassment that a 100 year old man has to kick-start charitable donations for a national health system

 

[bimble]

Very strange days. I looked at the mail to see what’s going on in there and they have published this today.
Readership don’t like it at all but there it is. Am a bit stumped tbh.

 

[Teaboy]

I see Superdrug has started flogging antibody tests. Seems a tad opportunistic.

 

[Combustible]

Colonel Tom Moore getting a knighthood. Good for him, but what a national fucking embarrassment that a 100 year old man has to kick-start charitable donations for a national health system

Where do they go next when they need a distraction? He'll be a Field Marshal by the end of this.

 

[Ax^]

its just to cover the fact they quietly changed the dumb as fuck stay alert message

 

[DexterTCN]

I would have thought tracking people like this would be helpful.

 

[prunus]

I see Superdrug has started flogging antibody tests. Seems a tad opportunistic.

They’re claiming 100% specificity - I didn’t think any tests had that (though some have 100% sensitivity)

“The results of our antibody test kit are 97.5% sensitive. This means that for nearly everyone who takes the test, the results will be correct. It is possible for you to have a coronavirus infection and recover without your body making antibodies, or by making a type of antibody not included in this test.

The test will never give a ‘false positive’ result – there’s no way it will say that you have COVID-19 antibodies if you do not have them”

 

[editor]

I went around four parks today and they were all rammed, with loads of people gathering in big groups. One bloke even thought to start up a big, extra-smokey barbecue in Ruskin Park!

Elsewhere, a Brixton fast food vendor was absolutely jammed full of people inside, with no one making the slightest effort at social distancing. The risk to staff and other customers must have been unacceptably high. It's clearly not good to see this going on, but I'm curious what you lot would do. Would you report it?

(*also posted in the Brixton forum)