Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[BristolEcho]

CQC continuing their fine tradition of being fucking useless CQC under fire from care home body for failing to report true death toll to ministers

Wrote about it elsewhere, but I know somebody who was complaining to CQC about being sent to workplaces they didn't even need to be at purely so they weren't furloughed. They said there was no issue. Days later report comes out showing how much this has added to care home death tolls. They really are shit.

 

[elbows]

After all these months where hospital infection control was an obvious topic but there was no particular incident for the press etc to shine a light on such matters, finally we have one, and quite a dramatic one. Only a very slight reading between the lines is required, since the official statements are still tiptoeing round the obvious:

Coronavirus outbreak sees Weston hospital close to new patients

Weston General Hospital is closed to new patients due to an outbreak of Covid-19. The hospital, in Grange Road, has stopped accepting...

www.thewestonmercury.co.uk

Dr William Oldfield, medical director at UHBW, said: “As with any hospital, the number of patients with Covid-19 will frequently change as people are admitted and discharged.

“We currently have a high number of patients with Covid-19 in Weston General Hospital.

“Whilst the vast majority will have come into the hospital with Covid-19, as an extra precaution we have taken the proactive step to temporarily stop accepting new patients to maintain patient and staff safety.

“This is a clinically-led decision and we are being supported by our system partners to ensure that new patients receive the care and treatment they need in the appropriate setting, and we are continuing to provide high quality care to existing patients who are being treated in the hospital.

“We have a robust coronavirus testing programme in place for patients and staff to identify cases quickly, with appropriate measures taken by clinical teams as required.

 

[Supine]

After all these months where hospital infection control was an obvious topic but there was no particular incident for the press etc to shine a light on such matters, finally we have one, and quite a dramatic one. Only a very slight reading between the lines is required

Not sure what you are insinuating. It makes sense that a hospital would react to the circumstance as it has done.

 

[IC3D]

Hospitals have been closed ships for weeks. Staff all got emails about not talking to the press and have been far to busy to stop and reflect. I'm aware of outbreaks among staff going back to February including deaths, and patients developing covid 19 on the wards as infection control guidelines got ramped up slowly. I think some of this was unavoidable and some not. I think it happened in hospitals country world wide.

 

[Looby]

The closure of that hospital is also a reminder of how quickly small hospitals can get overwhelmed.
I’m sorry to those who want to go surfing or swimming or meet family members or whatever but please don’t come to the South West tourist spots.

 

[elbows]

Not sure what you are insinuating. It makes sense that a hospital would react to the circumstance as it has done.

I'm simply criticising the language of official statements about the outbreak - lets not mention its an outbreak, lets go on about our testing regime, etc etc. The pathetic corporate management speak stuff.

 

[elbows]

Hospitals have been closed ships for weeks. Staff all got emails about not talking to the press and have been far to busy to stop and reflect. I'm aware of outbreaks among staff going back to February including deaths, and patients developing covid 19 on the wards as infection control guidelines got ramped up slowly. I think some of this was unavoidable and some not. I think it happened in hospitals country world wide.

Yes it was known since before the pandemic really got going worldwide that this stuff would be a massive issue. One of the reasons South Korea got a grip on theirs is that they had a very early outbreak in a hospital psychiatric ward, and they responded appropriately ever since.

Its only recently that we've actually had UK stories to provide specifics here though. eg the following stuff only came out recently, even though it was expected:

Fifth of patients with Covid-19 may have caught it in hospital, study finds

PHE research chimes with concerns that asymptomatic healthcare workers may have played role in spread

www.theguardian.com

 

[IC3D]

Discharging Covid + patients to self isolate in care homes has been the biggest fuck up by far and that was a national directive coming from a culture of winter bed crisis's most likely.

 

[elbows]

Discharging Covid + patients to self isolate in care homes has been the biggest fuck up by far and that was a national directive coming from a culture of winter bed crisis's most likely.

The notorious NHS 'reverse triage' plan that was mentioned in a report about the Cygnus exercise from 2016.

“Local responders also raised concerns about the expectation that the social care system would be able to provide the level of support needed if the NHS implemented its proposed reverse triage plans, which would entail the movement of patients from hospitals into social care facilities,” the report said.

What was Exercise Cygnus and what did it find?

The 2016 simulation of a pandemic found holes in the UK’s readiness for such a crisis

www.theguardian.com

 

[20Bees]

Dominic Cummings making a statement and taking questions at this afternoon’s briefing (just reported on BBC Radio 2 news).

 

[elbows]

Dominic Cummings making a statement and taking questions at this afternoon’s briefing (just reported on BBC Radio 2 news).

 

[editor]

Brockwell Park yesterday. Full football game taking place with ref and subs. No masks needed!

 

[Mr.Bishie]

Somerset hospital closed to new patients to halt spread of coronavirus

Weston general hospital also shuts A&E department after ‘spike’ in infections

www.theguardian.com

 

[mauvais]

Lockdown is fucked here. Probably to be expected from a BH Monday at this point but it's really busy and noone seems arsed about distancing any more.

 

[circleline]

Had a row in small Tesco. Bloke pushed right past me insisting he'd 'been queuing here for ages'. I said - no need to push past me, ya fucking idiot. He replied 'I don't know the crack here..' A distant voice from the tills: 'Now, now, please people..'

Wasn't me in the wrong. Just saying..

 

[editor]

FFS. Criminal charges should be brought

Liverpool's controversial match with Atletico Madrid has been linked to 41 extra deaths in local hospitals.

The Reds hosted the Spanish side in the Champions League at Anfield on March 9, with 3,000 Madrid fans travelling to the city for the game.

Spain and Madrid in particular was suffering an acute outbreak of coronavirus at the time and questions have been consistently asked about why the game was allowed to go ahead.

Now, a new analysis of health data suggests the match can be linked to at least 41 extra deaths in local hospitals.

The data forms part of a major investigation in the Sunday Times, which has shed light on some of the government decisions through the crisis that appear to have led to the UK's soaring virus death toll.

Atletico Madrid match linked to 41 deaths in Merseyside hospitals

New health data analysis predicts impact controversial fixture may have had

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk

 

[farmerbarleymow]

One other comment on twitter from a lawyer about the cummings statement is that 'it's been lawyered' which sounds right.

Why are some journos calling it Castle Barnard?

 

[frogwoman]

Ugh

 

[PD58]

So that is the smartest brain in Tory politics......

 

[PursuedByBears]

Why are some journos calling it Castle Barnard?

Because they're southerners?

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Because they're southerners?

Yup - ignorant twat journos.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

People already commenting that driving to Barnard Castle was potentially an offence under the Road Traffic Act.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Because they're southerners?

That can't be right, I've got Arundel Castle up the road from me, no one calls it Castle Arundel.

Mind you, thinking about it, Castle Goring is even nearer, and no one calls that Goring Castle.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Nation breathes a huge sigh of relief as car showrooms are given the green light to reopen.

 

[Lord Camomile]

As predicted elsewhere, announcing opening of lots of sections of society, in the hope of dragging the story away from Cummings.

Have they ever announced the lifting of restrictions three weeks in advance before now?

 

[quimcunx]

I wonder if that was a planted question.

I would have asked what extra capacity the govt has brought in to police workplaces for compliance to guidelines.

 

[elbows]

As predicted elsewhere, announcing opening of lots of sections of society, in the hope of dragging the story away from Cummings.

Have they ever announced the lifting of restrictions three weeks in advance before now?

They have a lot of form for announcing certain things well in advance in this pandemic. I'll have to check whether any of them were 3 weeks. When things were ramping up people like Whitty often mentioned things 1-2 weeks in advance of bringing them in. The schools thing was announced a couple of weeks ago and there is still a week to go, so thats one I probably dont need to further check the timing of.

I was someone who predicted Johnson would try to do something to grab the headlines earlier, but I dont think what they could actually come up with is quite up to that challenge. It can grab headlines in newspapers that already decided to be sympathetic towards the tories at this stage of whole Cummings shitstorm, but nothing I've heard in this Johnson press conference so far is terribly exciting.

 

[sheothebudworths]

'I can't remember'

 

[elbows]

Sounds like Peston has invented the P rate, the ratio of protesters outside Cummings house during a lockdown compared to at other times.

 

[Lord Camomile]

They have a lot of form for announcing certain things well in advance in this pandemic. I'll have to check whether any of them were 3 weeks. When things were ramping up people like Whitty often mentioned things 1-2 weeks in advance of bringing them in. The schools thing was announced a couple of weeks ago and there is still a week to go, so thats one I probably dont need to further check the timing of.

I was someone who predicted Johnson would try to do something to grab the headlines earlier, but I dont think what they could actually come up with is quite up to that challenge. It can grab headlines in newspapers that already decided to be sympathetic towards the tories at this stage of whole Cummings shitstorm, but nothing I've heard in this Johnson press conference so far is terribly exciting.

Aye, fair point on the schools.

I think the potential reopening of most commercial shops has the potential to be pretty big news?