COVID-19 Pandemic

[kold weather]

5 minutes ago, pip22 said:

Hows that fake news?? Lord Ashcroft posted it on twitter which makes me to believe it. Ah well.

It is not fake.

BUT it is actually from the 11th of March, I did a reverse image check to see when the picture was sourced and from where. 

BEFORE the schools were shut down in Portugal (they were officially closed today). My guess is that is mainly uni students who were off at that point.

[kold weather]

3 minutes ago, northwestsnow said:

Its another Italy incoming..

We got to mentally prepare for something out of a horror movie IMO.

I've been saying ever since last Saturday Spain was the one to watch, because they were breaking away from their normal curve and lurched upwards suddenly. If we see that happen here, begin to get ready for things to head south within the week. for now though, we are following broadly the same curve as most other countries.

[ANYWEATHER]

The Spanish Flu killed 50 million people between 1918 and 1920. The world's population was then around 1.5 billion , .We now have about 7 billion people now . I think governments and picticularly China have told us lies like they always do. Why so much hysteria? Will be interesting to see the unfolding situation, but if you look at the news tonight rather scary stuff, or scaremongering? Ian.

Edited March 13, 2020 by ANYWEATHER

[Summerstorm]

11 minutes ago, kold weather said:

It is not fake.

BUT it is actually from the 11th of March, I did a reverse image check to see when the picture was sourced and from where. 

BEFORE the schools were shut down in Portugal (they were officially closed today). My guess is that is mainly uni students who were off at that point.

Yep just checked the weather during that time and temps were  26,25 and 21 degrees in places like Faro between the 9th and the 11th so wouldn't be surprised that they are all down at the beach getting some sun in and probably drinking a few coronas depending on how risque they are feeling 

Edited March 13, 2020 by Summerstorm

[Spikecollie]

6 minutes ago, kold weather said:

It is not fake.

BUT it is actually from the 11th of March, I did a reverse image check to see when the picture was sourced and from where. 

BEFORE the schools were shut down in Portugal (they were officially closed today). My guess is that is mainly uni students who were off at that point.

Quit it! Fake news or not, we need to focus on the now.

[Spikecollie]

A case in the FMI now (International Bank) in Washington, all on "teletravail" working remotely from home.

[Summer Sun]

Premier League clubs fear the season is over

[DAVID SNOW]

Awful lot of speculation going on, would be nice if some added the caveat that its just their opinion, and that they are not experts when posting sweeping predictions.

[nick sussex]

5 minutes ago, ANYWEATHER said:

Thae Spanish Flu killed 50 million people between 1918 and 1920. The world's population was then around 1.5 billion , .We now have about 7 billion people now . I think governments and picticularly China have told us lies like they always do. Why so much hysteria? Will be interesting to see the unfolding situation, but if you look at the news tonight rather scary stuff, or scaremongering? Ian.

I’m hardly one to be downplaying this as I think it’s a very serious threat but the media have picked this Spanish flu because it killed a huge amount of people .

The interconnectedness of countries means of course that this current virus was able to spread quickly but we have advances in medicine they didn’t have then .

People are also generally healthier than back then.

[Zak M]

 

[Bristawl Si]

18 minutes ago, Man With Beard said:

Don't believe this one. No Portuguese go to the beach until at least June, even if it's 90F outside - only the Brits! 

Yes they do. Portuguese friends in The Algarve will go to the beach if warm enough. Reached 21c there today.

[Stabilo19]

Governor of Washington state, quite badly affected

Edited March 13, 2020 by Stabilo19

[summer blizzard]

1 hour ago, Summerstorm said:

Yep agree with you don't think I'm the only one on here that is a bit uncertain about the tactics being employed by the government. At the very least they could ban public gatherings amongst other things without too much of a stink being kicked up by the general public.

I know some people on the forum agree with the current government strategy but I will freely admit I don't like it at all, if they want to experiment with herd immunity they should get a small group of people together in an isolated environment to minimise the amount of deaths from this pandemic and if that works well then maybe roll the dice.

I think they are doing the correct thing bar..

1) They should ban the gatherings

2) They should ban incoming flights and Eurostar bar connections where people never leave the airport

I tend to think they’ve made the right call on things like not shutting schools and jumping straight to draconian measures. Unless you have a sample of several hundred thousand that you test repeatedly as a representative sample then you can’t assess how effective things like a quarantine are and have to extend measures for months. Better to delay until we have that sample then go hard on a quarantine for three weeks so that economic damage is minimal.

[kold weather]

Just now, nick sussex said:

I’m hardly one to be downplaying this as I think it’s a very serious threat but the media have picked this Spanish flu because it killed a huge amount of people .

The interconnectedness of countries means of course that this current virus was able to spread quickly but we have advances in medicine they didn’t have then .

People are also generally healthier than back then.

Yes this is not yet of the scale of the Spanish Flu in terms of potential, and we don't have the effect of WW1 also weakening many of the worlds populations either.

However we also have a far more mobile world than before, and in many ways a less fit society (alot more obese) and also an older society that is more prone.

So it may well be that the positives (better understanding of medicine) maybe be balanced by more people and travel and in some ways a less fit society.

I'd be surprised if it quite goes to that level, however I think my 1 million deaths by the end of 2021 may end up on the low side of what eventually happens, as much as I hope that is not the case.

[emax]

4 minutes ago, Zak M said:

 

That doesnt apply to the UK by the way!

[Snipper]

2 minutes ago, Spikecollie said:

A case in the FMI now (International Bank) in Washington, all on "teletravail" working remotely from home.

Think a lot of businesses are going to realise they don’t really need large numbers of people housed in expensive offices to function quite nicely. 
 

My last 20 years of working I did from home. Could sit there at the computer in my pyjamas if I wanted to.  If hot shorts and a tee shirt.  I travelled about a lot throughout southern England and found no problem not being part of a group of people.  Wouldn’t suit everyone I am sure.  

[kold weather]

7 minutes ago, summer blizzard said:

 

I tend to think they’ve made the right call on things like not shutting schools and jumping straight to draconian measures. Unless you have a sample of several hundred thousand that you test repeatedly as a representative sample then you can’t assess how effective things like a quarantine are and have to extend measures for months. Better to delay until we have that sample then go hard on a quarantine for three weeks so that economic damage is minimal.

SB I think that is exactly what they will do, probably a 4-6 week period where the vast majority of people will get ill who will catch it, could quite easily be 20-40% of the entire population. At that point, close everything down bar the very essentials (NHS, police and fire services, and keep the army on standby to help with supplies etc) and ride it out. Schools would be effected, so simply lob off 2-3 weeks of the summer holiday and cancel the October holiday to make up for some of the loss.

To expect us to keep that for a period of possibly 3 months is a heck of an ask for even somewhere like China, yet alone the UK.

Edited March 13, 2020 by kold weather

[Snipper]

18 minutes ago, ANYWEATHER said:

The Spanish Flu killed 50 million people between 1918 and 1920. The world's population was then around 1.5 billion , .We now have about 7 billion people now . I think governments and picticularly China have told us lies like they always do. Why so much hysteria? Will be interesting to see the unfolding situation, but if you look at the news tonight rather scary stuff, or scaremongering? Ian.

The world is a far different place than it was in 1918 so difficult to compare other than it makes nice headline.

[Mapantz]

Chuck Norris has tested positive for the virus. The virus has been quarantined for 14 days.

[alexisj9]

4 minutes ago, emax said:

That doesnt apply to the UK by the way!

Good point for us it would be call 111 but the rest is true enough. Right now I'd answer yes no not sure no and take meds as normal. 

[Summer Sun]

Gatherings of 500 or more to be banned for next weekend whilst schools and nurseries will be forced to stay open if they're found to have closed unnecessarily 

Edited March 13, 2020 by Summer Sun

[Captain Shortwave]

9 minutes ago, kold weather said:

SB I think that is exactly what they will do, probably a 4-6 week period where the vast majority of people will get ill who will catch it, could quite easily be 20-40% of the entire population. At that point, close everything down bar the very essentials (NHS, police and fire services, and keep the army on standby to help with supplies etc) and ride it out. Schools would be effected, so simply lob off 2-3 weeks of the summer holiday to make up for some of the loss.

To expect us to keep that for a period of possibly 3 months is a heck of an ask for even somewhere like China, yet alone the UK.

Yet we are effectively asking everyone over 70, potentially 60 or with chronic conditions to do this anyway. Is that any more possible than a full lockdown? I guess we will have to wait and see.

Not to mention that where there are many we want to isolate, there are equally places we don’t want the virus to get into (care homes for example). Given the huge variation on severity it looks so so easy for the virus to slip in on someone with very mild or no symptoms whatsoever.

[Guest Delete Me]

This is so sad because like my previous video, echoes what Wuhan went through at the start albeit they wont be welded into their apartments.

 

[Stabilo19]

7 minutes ago, Summer Sun said:

Gatherings of 500 or more to be banned for next weekend whilst schools and nurseries will be forced to stay open if they're found to have closed unnecessarily 

Forced to stay open? I don't think phrases like that are appropriate. Whether schools should be open or closed.. (that's up for debate!). I think worried parents will be getting v. concerned reading that and will be more likely to keep their children at home (?).

Edited March 13, 2020 by Stabilo19

[kold weather]

6 minutes ago, Summer Sun said:

Gatherings of 500 or more to be banned for next weekend whilst schools and nurseries will be forced to stay open if they're found to have closed unnecessarily 

Good, I think that is probably the right call overall, schools don't need to close early yet...I suspect many will find it hard to open after easter though, if only because of staffing problems. Lots of classes will collapse and schools will effectively become a babysitting service for all but maybe Year 11s who should be prioritized.