Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[andysays]

Someone on one of the local mutual aid groups is really annoying me...he is insisting that there should be teams of temperature testers at the entrance of every single tube/train station in Greater London checking people and turning them away if they seem to have a temperature. I know it sounds like a common sense idea but there are 5 million tube journeys per day alone and the temperature check isn't reliable because you could be incubating and not showing symptoms...he won't have it.

Maybe you can suggest he takes on that role and leave others to perform other tasks.

That's one of the things we're going to have to deal with, isn't it, people who want to be helpful but have less than sensible ideas about what being helpful might mean...

 

[Fez909]

That's one of the things we're going to have to deal with, isn't it, people who want to be helpful but have less than sensible ideas about what being helpful might mean...

Yep, in my mutual id Whatsapp group, there's someone sharing Black Friday videos saying it's people trying to get at food...not helpful at all. Thankfully they were shut down quickly by everyone else.

 

[Treacle Toes]

Because I have been having less than kind thoughts about jabbing him really hard in the ear with a thermometer I have decided to mute his thread. He is drawing far too much attention and that may mean other more practical local support is being lost.

 

[Treacle Toes]

I decided to leave a comment too....I tried to be kind.

'IMO this thread is drawing too much attention. This group is for offers of help locally and for people to connect with others who need help. I am going to mute it because whilst the discussion may feel important there are other places it can be had that don't interfere with the purpose of this group.'

 

[spitfire]

I decided to leave a comment too....I tried to be kind.

'IMO this thread is drawing too much attention. This group is for offers of help locally and for people to connect with others who need help. I am going to mute it because whilst the discussion may feel important there are other places it can be had that don't interfere with the purpose of this group.'

Nicely done. Our Tower Hamlets one has laid out some ground rules that are mostly being stuck to so far.

Tower Hamlets Covid19 Community Support

This is a group for Tower Hamlets residents looking to help each other out during the Covid-19/corona virus pandemic. You can be accepted to the group once you agree to admin rules and answer...

www.facebook.com

This is a group for Tower Hamlets residents looking to help each other out during the Covid-19/corona virus pandemic. You can be accepted to the group once you agree to admin rules and answer questions as requested.

We will be looking to help people access food, complete errands etc - particularly those who are elderly, disabled and/or immunocompromised.

This is not a group for exchanging medical advice. We cannot provide medical advice. Please get in touch with your GP or call 111 if you have symptoms you are worried about.

No prejudice will be tolerated, and anyone attempting to underplay the seriousness of the pandemic will be banned from posting. Likewise please don't share posts that stir up panic, or anything that isn't useful or relevant to supporting the community.

 

[Wilf]

Wonder if it's worth having a separate mutual aid thread? Realise there are masses of threads already, but as time goes on getting some sort of community support becomes more and more important. Could even be pinned.

With the usual apols if there's already one and I've missed it.

 

[fishfinger]

Wonder if it's worth having a separate mutual aid thread? Realise there are masses of threads already, but as time goes on getting some sort of community support becomes more and more important. Could even be pinned.

With the usual apols if there's already one and I've missed it.

There's one here:

C19 - the 'i need help' thread.

 

[little_legs]

My two cents about thermometers: the Taiwanese authorities have had success with the infrared thermometers during and post SARS outbreak, they have been using them widely during the current covid-19 outbreak. They fitted infrared thermometers at busy rail stations and as passengers made their way across the central part of the stations they were being monitored for temperatures and those with temperatures over 37.5 were stopped from entering the station. In the past those infrared thermometers were not as clever, i.e. they would just identify a part of the station registering high temps, but now the technology can identify and track an individual person, something like this:

I don't know if the members of the British public would respond positively to being asked to leave station though.

 

[treelover]

Someone on one of the local mutual aid groups is really annoying me...he is insisting that there should be teams of temperature testers at the entrance of every single tube/train station in Greater London checking people and turning them away if they seem to have a temperature. I know it sounds like a common sense idea but there are 5 million tube journeys per day alone and the temperature check isn't reliable because you could be incubating and not showing symptoms...he won't have it.

best to keep these groups to discussions on how to support people, otherwise usual tensions.

 

[Treacle Toes]

best to keep these groups to discussions on how to support people, otherwise usual tensions.

It's a petition he is pushing to be clear...just in the wrong place IMO.

 

[elbows]

Regarding being trapped by orthodox thinking in regards pandemics, it pains me that even with my big gob and lack of deference I was probably limited in my thinking at some points by the orthodoxy. If it sounded at some stages like I knew what would happen next and what the response would be, its because a large chunk of my pandemic knowledge came from reading pre-existing plans (usually influenza specific). And I knew what the default position of the WHO would be. But I think I was very slow to see the WHOs rapid shift in stance for what it was, and I was also reluctant to accept at face value the most obvious interpretation of the numbers coming out of China and some other countries in the region once they had taken draconian measures.

I feel bad about it because I ended up spending so much of my time explaining the thinking behind the governments stance, and I was distracted by weird talk about 4 weeks instead of 2, and the botched public communications regarding herd immunity. I dont think I focussed anywhere near enough on the shift in underlying stance that has happened elsewhere (or might be happening, its a little early to tell properly in regards a bunch of EU countries, even though most of them have now gone for heavy measures implemented quickly).

I've got little clue about what happens next in terms of this countries strategy and the political reaction to it. I suppose I shall wait at least until todays press conference to see what signs are there.

 

[LeytonCatLady]

My thoughts to everyone affected.

On the positive side, when I went to Tesco today there were long queues still, but the shelves were still fairly stacked albeit a few gaps in stock. Not as manic as Saturday, so I'm hoping the staff have it under control.

Also, it's lovely and warm in London today. Spring is definitely on the way, so hopefully the hotter weather will help slow the spread of the virus down and the UK may not need to go into full lockdown after all.

 

[maomao]

New case figures are out but no death figures today which worries me.

 

[andysays]

New case figures are out but no death figures today which worries me.

BBC reporting one death today, the first in Wales

 

[T & P]

It might have been mentioned already (have only skimmed quickly over the last few pages), but the Spanish government has taken over the private health sector temporarily so private hospital beds can be used without permission, delay, or having to pay for them. I wish the UK government had the will, initiative or balls to do the same here.

 

[maomao]

BBC reporting one death today, the first in Wales

That was released by Welsh gov/NHS. Not the national figure.

 

[LDC]

First bit of news I've seen relating to this, thought worth a separate thread tbh.

Army likely to embed medics in NHS hospitals to help fight coronavirus

MoD preparing to send thousands of medics into NHS rather than build field hospitals

www.theguardian.com

 

[little_legs]

It might have been mentioned already (have only skimmed quickly over the last few pages), but the Spanish government has taken over the private health sector temporarily so private hospital beds can be used without permission, delay, or having to pay for them. I wish the UK government had the will, initiative or balls to do the same here.

The panto clown that the gammon have elected as their dear leader is likely to facilitate the opposite. He is decimating the NHS on purpose.

 

[little_legs]

Fucking hell, why not wait until 11pm and do the daily briefing.

 

[elbows]

Press conf scheduled for 4.45pm, no idea what time it will actually end up starting.

 

[elbows]

BBC reporting that a prison officer from High Down prison is Surrey has tested positive. Male, tested positive on Saturday, 4 prisoners who had close contact have been placed in isolation.

 

[T & P]

Press conf scheduled for 4.45pm, no idea what time it will actually end up starting.

And when it does start, I fear it will be another ''Carry on as normal with typical British stoicism folks, situation normal and don't you pay any attention to those panicky OTT Johnny Foreigners'' message.

 

[elbows]

BBC had this graph but to be fair the presenter and guest did discuss the fact it was misleading because we recently changed the criteria for testing.

 

[elbows]

Press conference is on. Johnson starts with the usual stuff about flattening the peak and following the best scientific advice.

 

[elbows]

Says we are now approaching the 'fast growth' part of the curve.

Now asking people with symptoms to stay at home for 14 days. You can go out for exercise.

 

[elbows]

Now is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact with others. Need people to start working from home. Avoid pubs, clubs, theatres etc.

 

[wayward bob]

hardening up on the social distancing...

 

[Buddy Bradley]

Now asking people with symptoms to stay at home for 14 days. You can go out for exercise.

Not just people, but anyone sharing a household with anyone with symptoms.

 

[wayward bob]

12 weeks wtf - who for??

 

[elbows]

Looks like London is now 'a few weeks ahead'. Londoners should pay special attention to the new advice.