Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[tommers]

Illegal mingling.

 

[Orang Utan]

Just looked at the Covid cases for the parts of Leeds where I work and live and they have tripled since the last time I checked, which was when we were warned that those cases were a spike and might result in another lockdown. But still we must go to work & school.

 

[Roadkill]

Just looked at the Covid cases for the parts of Leeds where I work and live and they have tripled since the last time I checked, which was when we were warned that those cases were a spike and might result in another lockdown. But still we must go to work & school.

It's really not looking good across much of the north. I've just screenshotted this from the local area map the government data dashboard links to:

 

[souljacker]

Its hard for my mind not to get carried away with the possible ramifications for the government over the current testing failures, given that the news is only likely to get worse on that front and a whole new catalogue of blame awaits.

Coronavirus: NHS staff off work due to testing shortages, say bosses

Hospital bosses warn that a lack of coronavirus tests for workers is putting services at risk.

www.bbc.co.uk

What a fucking disaster this testing is turning out to be. Patel on there essentially saying there are tests available whilst it's obvious there aren't. Also saying they are working with PHE which, not only is actual lies but also a bit cheeky considering her government have said they are going to abolish it! Just stop bullshitting, admit there is a problem and fucking fix it or we're heading for another lockdown. The incompetence is not funny, it's going to kill people.

 

[Roadkill]

What a fucking disaster this testing is turning out to be. Patel on there essentially saying there are tests available whilst it's obvious there aren't. Also saying they are working with PHE which, not only is actual lies but also a bit cheeky considering her government have said they are going to abolish it! Just stop bullshitting, admit there is a problem and fucking fix it or we're heading for another lockdown. The incompetence is not funny, it's going to kill people.

If this government stopped bullshitting it would collapse within minutes. The whole edifice is built on lies.

 

[sojourner]

Cheers Roadie - my home town St Helens is not looking good. Also, I found out that the small area where I live had the most deaths overall in the town

 

[Brainaddict]

What a fucking disaster this testing is turning out to be. Patel on there essentially saying there are tests available whilst it's obvious there aren't. Also saying they are working with PHE which, not only is actual lies but also a bit cheeky considering her government have said they are going to abolish it! Just stop bullshitting, admit there is a problem and fucking fix it or we're heading for another lockdown. The incompetence is not funny, it's going to kill people.

They appear to literally not care that they are killing people and will kill a lot more. And the press has already assured them that no matter how badly they fuck up, they will get the kind of free pass that no left wing government could ever dream of. And it seems Johnson can do anything he wants until Brexit is done, cos that's what he was elected to do. So there's no consequences to their actions, and if Johnson eventually does get removed when Brexit fucks up he'll probably be relieved anyway as he clearly doesn't like hard work. So the Tories will pin the blame on him for the multiple disasters and go on their merry way. I'm feeling pretty frustrated atm.

 

[elbows]

Clearly they already started rationing testing and now Hancock has admitted something on this front, with more shit to come by the sounds of it:

We’ve seen a sharp rise in people coming forward for a test, including those who are not eligible.

And throughout this pandemic we have prioritised testing according to need. Over the summer, when demand was low, we were able to meet all requirements for testing, whether priorities or not.

But as demand has risen, so we are having to prioritise once again. And I do not shirk from decisions about prioritisation. They are not always comfortable, but they are important.

The top priority is, and always has been, acute clinical care.

The next priority is social care, where we’re now sending over 100,000 tests a day because we’ve all seen the risks this virus poses in care homes.

We’ll set out in full an updated prioritisation and I do not rule out further steps to make sure tests are used according to those priorities. It is a choice that we must make.

25m ago 12:58

Never mind that most of their plans to cope and to keep things open that they dangled before us rely on a great test & trace system eh.

 

[two sheds]

They say that some people - ie without symptoms - are not eligible. But if you think you've been in contact with someone and may be infectious even though asymptomatic then surely it's good to get a test particularly if you're in contact with someone who's vulnerable.

Eta: before commenting on this, please note that LynnDoyleCooper has demonstrated below that it is bollocks

 

[sojourner]

They say that some people - ie without symptoms - are not eligible. But if you think you've been in contact with someone and may be infectious even though asymptomatic then surely it's good to get a test.

Is that not the whole fucking point of the track and trace system? Absolutely beggars belief.

 

[quimcunx]

Doesnt seem to be much joined up thinking.

We want to open up so we have great test and trace.

We dont have test capacity so only test if you fit the narrow criteria.

If you have had contact quarantine so you dont go to work.

You're an essential worker so you need to work. We need tests for key workers.

To many people are getting tests so dont get tested.

You dont know what you have so dont go to work.

Get back to work.

 

[LDC]

They say that some people - ie without symptoms - are not eligible. But if you think you've been in contact with someone and may be infectious even though asymptomatic then surely it's good to get a test particularly if you're in contact with someone who's vulnerable.

Tests are very unreliable if you have no symptoms, and what you've said is you 'think you've been in contact' but have no symptoms, which is currently not an indicator for getting a test.

 

[LDC]

Is that not the whole fucking point of the track and trace system? Absolutely beggars belief.

No, it's not the whole point. Not everyone who's been in any contact with a positive case gets a test. And it's why people following the quarantine period is very important.

 

[two sheds]

Tests are very unreliable if you have no symptoms, and what you've said is you 'think you've been in contact' but have no symptoms, which is currently not an indicator for getting a test.

if you know you've been in contact?

Eta: when you apply for a test presumably they ask you whether you have symptoms and why you feel you need a test - wouldn't that be picked up there rather than people having unnecessary tests?

 

[sojourner]

No, it's not the whole point. Not everyone who's been in any contact with a positive case gets a test. And it's why people following the quarantine period is very important.

I stand corrected then. And I thought I knew how it worked.

 

[LDC]

if you know you've been in contact?

If you've been told to. There is a bit of truth to a part of the problem being a sudden huge increase in people deciding they want a test when it's not clinically indicated. Anecdotally I know a good load of people that have been doing that, which while understandable isn't ideal.

That's not the main reason but it's not helped. Main reason is the sudden upsurge in cases (and demand from schools going back, more people in work, etc.) when a huge percentage of the capacity (40-50%) is being used by care homes and hospitals, and there's also a shortage of people, reagent, and testing facilities, and then general fuck-ups (some predictable, some less so) on top of bad planning and command and control.

 

[two sheds]

If you've been told to. There is a bit of truth to the problems being a sudden huge increase in people deciding they want a test when it's not clinically indicated. Anecdotally I know a good load of people that have been doing that, which while understandable isn't ideal.

That's not the main reason but it's not helped. Main reason is the sudden upsurge in cases when a huge percentage of the capacity (40-50%) is being used by care homes and hospitals, and there's also a shortage of people, reagent, and testing facilities, and then general fuck-ups (some predictable, some less so) on top of bad planning and command and control.

Ta - and the bit I added after?

when you apply for a test presumably they ask you whether you have symptoms and why you feel you need a test - wouldn't that be picked up there rather than people having unnecessary tests?

 

[SheilaNaGig]

I made a whole thread for this discussion !

Covid testing : where when how and what happens next.

Still waiting for my daughter’s test result, but whatever she has she has passed it on to me. Clearly this means it can’t be Covid though, since children don’t infect adults :hmm:

www.urban75.net

 

[Spandex]

I don't know why but I just remembered the government's COVID Alert Levels traffic light chart that came out at the beginning of June. I thought I'd take a look to see what wisdom it might throw on the current situation:

I think it's fair to say that a COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation, so I guess we're currently at Level 3. According to the great minds of state that means there should be a "gradual relaxing of restrictions and social distancing measures".

Hmm.

Did they really think at that time that it was only going to go in one direction? That it was going to fade away and that'd be an end of it? Did it not enter their brains that infection rates might go up again and a second spike was a possibility? Or was this chart just some random bumf they threw out to make it look like they had a plan?

Spoiler: it is just some random bumf they threw out to make it look like they had a plan..

 

[LDC]

Ta - and the bit I added after?

when you apply for a test presumably they ask you whether you have symptoms and why you feel you need a test - wouldn't that be picked up there rather than people having unnecessary tests?

Not sure, I haven't had a test. A good few people I know have lied about having symptoms on the form though.

 

[xenon]

This is what you get with a government of inbred spivs and crony CapitlisM

Tests are very unreliable if you have no symptoms, and what you've said is you 'think you've been in contact' but have no symptoms, which is currently not an indicator for getting a test.

The problem is all the usual coughs and sniffles people get starting this time of year. If I had kids or new I'd been in contact albeit sparadically with someone who's got it and started getting a mild cough, I'd want the test. Even though it's still more probable to be a nothingy mild cold.

That X several hundred thousand.

 

[platinumsage]

How to get a test:

 

[elbows]

And from the BBC version of the story comes Hancock attributing levels of demand to the fact the testing is free.

Labour's shadow health secretary Mr Ashworth said Mr Hancock was "losing control of this virus".

"When schools reopen and people return to workplaces and social distancing becomes harder, infections rise," he said.

"So extra demand on the system was inevitable, so why didn't he use the summer to significantly expand NHS lab capacity and fix contact tracing?"

Responding, Mr Hancock said: "I don't deny that it is an enormous challenge and when you have a free service it's inevitable that demand rises.

Coronavirus: Testing problems to be solved in weeks, says Hancock

The health secretary says testing policy will be updated to prioritise the most urgent cases.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Teaboy]

How to get a test:

I go past that test centre regularly. I've never seen more than one car there apart from when it first opened where there was a bit of a queue. In fact they've recently shrunk it down to less testing lanes.

What is happening with testing is utterly baffling and as per usual there is a total refusal by the government to explain anything.

 

[two sheds]

"gaming the system"? wtf? getting a test near to you when the system doesn't work. Stupid twat.

 

[Roadkill]

How to get a test:

It'd be better to quote the MP's own tweet than give any more exposure to that lying shit Harwood.

 

[Supine]

I don't know why but I just remembered the government's COVID Alert Levels traffic light chart that came out at the beginning of June. I thought I'd take a look to see what wisdom it might throw on the current situation:

I think it's fair to say that a COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation, so I guess we're currently at Level 3. According to the great minds of state that means there should be a "gradual relaxing of restrictions and social distancing measures".

Hmm.

Did they really think at that time that it was only going to go in one direction? That it was going to fade away and that'd be an end of it? Did it not enter their brains that infection rates might go up again and a second spike was a possibility? Or was this chart just some random bumf they threw out to make it look like they had a plan?

Spoiler: it is just some random bumf they threw out to make it look like they had a plan..

level 4 at the moment. exponential rising.

 

[SheilaNaGig]

I don’t think Im the only person who would really really prefer it if the testing discussions could be easily found. As things change with the increasing possibility of a second wave etc, I think it’s also important that relevant and evolving information can be easily found on here without trawling through a portmanteau thread, or several threads.

I made this other thread over here for test chats, so I invite and encouraged this conversation to go over there.

Covid testing : where when how and what happens next.

Still waiting for my daughter’s test result, but whatever she has she has passed it on to me. Clearly this means it can’t be Covid though, since children don’t infect adults :hmm:

www.urban75.net

 

[Artaxerxes]

I don't know why but I just remembered the government's COVID Alert Levels traffic light chart that came out at the beginning of June. I thought I'd take a look to see what wisdom it might throw on the current situation:

I think it's fair to say that a COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation, so I guess we're currently at Level 3. According to the great minds of state that means there should be a "gradual relaxing of restrictions and social distancing measures".

Hmm.

Did they really think at that time that it was only going to go in one direction? That it was going to fade away and that'd be an end of it? Did it not enter their brains that infection rates might go up again and a second spike was a possibility? Or was this chart just some random bumf they threw out to make it look like they had a plan?

Spoiler: it is just some random bumf they threw out to make it look like they had a plan..

I remember they somehow managed to go straight from 5 to 3 somehow after lockdown.

Twats.

 

[editor]

And up pops another 'it's a violation of my liberty' idiot

Noel Gallagher says he refuses to wear a 'pointless' mask despite UK laws

Singer-songwriter argues ‘if I get the virus it’s on me, it’s not on anyone else’, as Ian Brown calls for ‘no masks no vax’

www.theguardian.com